1
10 March 2017
Army Public Health
Weekly Update
Army Public Health Center
US Military | Global | Influenza | VeterinaryFood Safety | Wellness | Contact Us
USAFRICOM | USCENTCOM | USEUCOM | USNORTHCOM | USPACOM | USSOUTHCOM
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Contents
US MILITARY
Army develops life-saving device that warns medics before patients go into shock or bleed out
Incidence rates of malignant melanoma in relation to years of military service hellip US Armed
Forces 2001ndash2015
VA expands mental health care for discharged veterans
GLOBAL
Can salted doorknobs prevent superbug infections
Health of ticks may be key to health of humans
New technique uses gold nanoparticles to rapidly detect Ebola
NIH-funded study helps explain how zebrafish recover from blinding injuries
Pipe-climbing bacteria might spread infection from hospital sinks
Study Half of the studies you read about in the news are wrong
Surgery or drugs Doctorsrsquo pay may influence choice
The cost of a polluted environment 17 million child deaths a year says WHO
VA study highlights benefits of enhanced aspirin in preventing certain cancers
Yellow fever mdash once again on the radar screen in the Americas
ZIKA VIRUS
Blood donor screening finds 13 Zika rate in Puerto Rico last year
Zika case counts in the US
INFLUENZA
APHC US Army Influenza Activity Report
CDC Flu View - Weekly US Influenza Surveillance Report
ECDC Flu News Europe
Increase in human infections with avian influenza A(H7N9) Virus during the fifth epidemic mdash
China October 2016ndashFebruary 2017
NHRC Febrile Respiratory Illness Surveillance Update
USAFSAM amp DHA DoD Global Laboratory-Based Influenza Surveillance Program
USDA has $80 million-$90 million to fight bird flu
WHO Influenza Update
The Army Public Health Update is a collection of articles taken verbatim
from public sources to offer awareness of current health
issues and the media coverage given to them The articles do
not necessarily represent US Army Medical Department
opinions views policy or guidance and should not be construed or interpreted as
being endorsed by the US Army Medical Command
2
Follow us
YouTube
VETERINARYFOOD SAFETY
2 dead in multi-state Listeria outbreak traced to Vulto cheese
fMRI predicts if Fido is fit for service
Four more states report soy nut butter E coli infections
The military kills 8500 pigs and goats every year for medical training A new bill would end that
WELLNESS
Arthritis afflicts about 1 in 4 adults in the US CDC report finds
Is dieting passeacute Study finds fewer overweight people try to lose weight
Poor diet tied to nearly half of US deaths from heart disease stroke diabetes
Significant differences among occupational groups found in short sleep duration
The grateful life may be a longer one
Warm-ups cool-downs what works what doesnrsquot
USAFRICOM
Somalia says 110 dead in last 48 hours due to drought
South Sudan South Sudan will now charge $10000 for an aid worker permit Why
USCENTCOM
Afghanistan Afghan fighting pressures hospitals clinics - childrens rights group
Afghanistan ISIS militants disguised as doctors kill 38 in Kabul hospital attack
Iraq ISIS allegedly used chemical weapons in Mosul battle injuring civilians
Syria Syrian children suffer staggering levels of trauma and distress ndash report
USEUCOM
EuropeUS Mutual Recognition promises new framework for pharmaceutical inspections for
United States and European Union
Israel marijuana Users to face fine rather than criminal charge
Romania Measles outbreak in Romania - ECDC assesses the risk of spread to and sustained
transmission in EUEEA countries
Romania Romanias healthcare exodus
Switzerland Measles outbreaks continue to plague Switzerland
United Kingdom Nestleacute to remove 10 of sugar from all snacks in UK and Ireland by 2018
USNORTHCOM
Canada Dallaire testifies mefloquine drug impaired thought process in Rwanda
US CDC wants better data to manage global communicable diseases
US EPA chief unconvinced on CO2 link to global warming
US EPA environmental justice leader resigns amid White House plans to dismantle program
US FDA has encouraged development but needs to clarify the role of draft guidance and
develop qualified infectious disease product guidance
US Forbidding forecast for Lyme disease in the northeast
US Obamacare repeal guts crucial public health funds
US Patients demand the right to try experimental drugs but costs can be steep
US Ten million lives saved by 1962 breakthrough study says
US US skin disease burden expected to increase
USPACOM
India India abortion - police find 19 female foetuses
India Missing the signals - Indiarsquos anti-vaccination social media campaign
Myanmar Tuberculosis kills 14 in Myanmarrsquos remote north
3
Highlights of the
2013 ndash 2014
Behavioral Health ndash
Risk Assessment
Data Report
Of Soldiers that had
deployed within 5 years of
the PHA
10 screened positive
for symptoms of
depression and 13
screened positive for
symptoms of PTSD
16 of Soldiers
screened positive 90-
180 days post-
deployment for
hazardous drinking
USSOUTHCOM
Brazil WHO expands vaccination advice as yellow fever covers southeast Brazil state
Ecuador Leads desperate artisans
US MILITARY
Army develops life-saving device that warns medics
before patients go into shock or bleed out
4 March - Army researchers have developed a device that can tell when a wounded person
is in danger of going into shock or dying from blood loss The life-saving device fits on a
fingertip and its the first technology that gives early warning that a trauma patient is close
to circulatory shock the researchers say The device called the Compensatory Reserve
Index can save lives including soldiers wounded on the battlefield by showing medics
when a patient is about to go into hemorrhagic shock according to a release from the
Military Health System Hemorrhagic shock is the leading cause of death among trauma
victims Now the CRI has been cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration to be
used in hospital settings and in treatment before a patient gets to the hospital Army Times
Incidence rates of malignant melanoma in relation to
years of military service hellip US Armed Forces 2001ndash
2015
February 2017 - During the 15-year surveillance period there were 2233 incident diagnoses
of malignant melanoma among members of the active component of the US military hellip
Unadjusted incidence rates were highest in the fixed-wing pilot crew group (245 per
10000 p-yrs) lowest in the infantry special operations combat engineer group (077 per
10000 p-yrs) and intermediate among healthcare providers (133 per 10000 p-yrs) and all
others (107 per 10000 p-yrs) During the 15-year period rates of malignant melanoma
diagnoses among US military members overall increased in an exponential fashion in
relation to years of active service However this relationship varied across occupational
groups Most notably after several years of service rates of melanoma diagnoses increased
relatively rapidly among pilots and the crews of fixed-wing aircraft (eg fighters bombers
cargopersonnel transporters) and those in occupations inherently conducted outdoors
(eg infantry special operations combat engineers) In contrast melanoma diagnosis rates
increased relatively slowly among healthcare providers and those in ldquootherrdquo military
occupations Medical Surveillance Monthly Report
VA expands mental health care for discharged veterans
8 March - The Department of Veterans Affairs will offer urgent mental health care beginning
this summer to thousands of former service members with less-than-honorable discharges
part of its expanded initiative to stem stubbornly high rates of suicide VA Secretary David
4
Fact Sheet
Perfluorooctane
Sulfonate (PFOS) amp
Perfluorooctanoic
Acid (PFOA) in
Drinking Water -
Frequently Asked
Questions for
Consumers
Army-owned or operated
drinking water systems are
being sampled for PFOS
and PFOA as part of the
Armyrsquos ongoing effort to
ensure good quality
drinking water
The Army will inform
consumers of sampling
results and the actions
taken to eliminate or
reduce PFOS and PFOA in
water systems if
concentrations are
detected above the LHA
levels
Shulkin said Wednesday the additional coverage was needed to help former service
members who are more likely to have mental health distress He said the department
couldnt wait for legislation and needed to act now noting that the vast majority of veterans
who took their lives had not been connected to VA care hellip By June or July the VA said it will
specifically provide the mental health care to those with other than honorable discharges
from the military typically for misconduct such as violence or use of illegal drugs Currently
such discharges can prevent veterans from receiving federal benefits hellip The VA is also
seeking to hire 1000 more mental health providers and establish strong hubs to reach
veterans with mental health assistance by phone in rural parts of the country Fox News
top of page
GLOBAL
Can salted doorknobs prevent superbug infections
3 March - hellip [One] option [to combat superbugs like Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus
aureus] is to coat those frequently fondled objects most likely to carry the bugsmdash
doorknobs bed rails toilet handlesmdashwith a special anti-microbial surface like copper hellip
Brayden Whitlock a graduate student at the University of Alberta [designed] a pilot study
that put salt and copper head to head Coupon-sized strips of pure compressed sodium
chloride were covered in an MRSA culture alongside similar strips of antimicrobial copper
and stainless steel Whitlock found that salt killed off the bug 20 to 30 times faster than the
copper did reducing MRSA levels by 85 percent after 20 seconds and by 94 percent after a
minute hellip [Other] researchers hellip have found another potential medical use for salt this time
as a coating on surgical masks These masks are designed to trap viruses that wearers are
carrying like influenza but need to be thrown away after a single use hellip Hyo-Jick Choi hellip
found that soaking the inner membrane of a common surgical mask in a solution of sodium
chloride made the mask actually able to destroy the flu virus outright which could allow for
multiple uses The Atlantic
Health of ticks may be key to health of humans
7 March - Doctors and researchers say preventing Lyme
and other diseases would be preferable to trying to
treat the conditions [Joao] Pedra has some ideas about
how scientific discoveries from his lab may eventually
contribute to prevention efforts One avenue could be a
vaccine that protects people by producing an antibody
in humans that is transferred to feasting ticks so they dont feed well and fall off before they
can pass on a germ Another path could involve spraying much like people do for
mosquitoes The spray would contain a compound that triggers over-activity in the ticks
immune system preventing them from harboring threatening microbes hellip There will be
5
CDC Workshops on
Emerging Infectious
Disease
Preparedness
Beginning this month the
Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention and
National Ebola Training amp
Education Center will offer
two free training
workshops on emerging
infectious disease
preparedness for clinicians
health care workers and
public health officials
Details and Registration
challenges however for other researchers in translating the science into specific preventive
measures he said One challenge [is] the ticks relatively long life cycle of two to three years
which makes manipulating and studying ticks more laborious compared with mosquitoes
that live less than two months The Baltimore Sun
New technique uses gold nanoparticles to rapidly detect
Ebola
7 March - Researchers from the University at Albany have developed a test that can detect
the presence of Ebola virus from a urine sample much faster and more cost-effectively than
current methods The technique hellip relies on biomarkers and gold nanoparticles which if
triggered turn the sample red to indicate infection or purple to indicate no infection
Certain biomarkers for Ebola can be found in urine and the gold nanoparticles are
functionalized with DNA receptors that can bind to these Ebola biomarkers and trigger a
chain reaction hellip It is a fairly simple method that allows for visual detection of Ebola in
minutes hellip Overall the team tested 25 urine samples containing four biomarkers associated
with Ebola The method produced accurate results in 24 samples including each of the four
subtypes of Ebola hellip Overall the process takes about four to five hours which compared to
current standard Ebola detection methods that can take several days for results is a vast
improvement Bioscience Technology
NIH-funded study helps explain how zebrafish recover
from blinding injuries
9 March - Researchers hellip have discovered that in zebrafish decreased levels of the
neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) cue the retina the light-sensing tissue
in the back of the eye to produce stem cells The finding sheds light on how the zebrafish
regenerates its retina after injury and informs efforts to restore vision in people who are
blind hellip This work opens up new ideas for therapies for blinding diseases and has
implications for the broader field of regenerative medicine said Tom Greenwell PhD NIH
Pipe-climbing bacteria might spread infection from
hospital sinks
1 March - Bacteria can thrive in p-traps those ldquoU
bendsrdquo below sink drains that collect everything from
errant earrings to lost toothpaste tube caps Thatrsquos a big
problem especially in hospitals where sinks have been
linked to a slew of bacterial outbreaks To determine
exactly how the pathogens spread scientists built a row
of five sinks in a setup similar to that in many hospitals with all of them draining into the
same pipe hellip [S]cientists seeded p-traps with harmless fluorescent bacteria to see where
the microbes traveled hellip [T]he bacteria flourished shimmying up the pipe at a rate of about
25 centimeters per day to contaminate sink drain covers There faucet water splattered the
6
Classified Version of
the Weekly Update
An Army Public Health
Weekly Update is available
with articles classified up to
the SECRET level from the
USAPHC SIPRNet site
httpphcarmysmilmil
Look under Hot Topics amp
Current Issues
To access this version you
will need a SECRET
clearance and a SIPRNet
account
Links
A-Z Index
About APHC
Army Public Health
Weekly Update Archives
Medical Surveillance
Monthly Report
Medical Threat Briefings
(AKO)
Request APHC Services
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bacteria around the sink bowl and countertop Science
Study Half of the studies you read about in the news are
wrong
3 March - hellip A single study is rarely the final answer And yet for science reporters new
studies are irresistible mdash a bold new finding makes a great headline hellip The problem isnrsquot
necessarily that these studies are poorly designed (although some of them may be) The
problem is that each headline gives an incomplete glimpse of how science works One lab
produces a result Another lab mdash ideally mdash tries to replicate that result Rinse and repeat
Eventually someone needs to do a meta-review of the totality of the evidence on the
question to reach a conclusion That meta-review rather than any one study in isolation is
likely to get closer to the true answer Yet as researchers in PLOS One recently found
journalists typically only cover those initial papers mdash and skip over writing about the
clarifying meta-reviews that come later on VOX
Surgery or drugs Doctorsrsquo pay may influence choice
8 March - Sometimes doctors choose to do surgery not because it is absolutely preferable
to other treatments but because they get reimbursed for it a new study suggests
Researchers looked at patients with a narrowed artery in the neck a condition called carotid
artery stenosis that can be treated with surgery or managed with medicine and lifestyle
changes The choice is often a judgment call Some were treated in a fee-for-service system
which pays doctors for every procedure they do Others were treated by doctors on salary at
a military hospital After adjusting for health behavioral and socioeconomic variables they
found that over all patients in the fee-for-service system were 63 percent more likely to
have surgery than those in the salary system The New York Times
The cost of a polluted environment 17 million child
deaths a year says WHO
6 March - More than 1 in 4 deaths of children under 5 years of age are attributable to
unhealthy environments Every year environmental risks ndash such as indoor and outdoor air
pollution second-hand smoke unsafe water lack of sanitation and inadequate hygiene ndash
take the lives of 17 million children under 5 years say two new WHO reports The first
report Inheriting a Sustainable World Atlas on Childrenrsquos Health and the Environment
reveals that a large portion of the most common causes of death among children aged 1
month to 5 years ndash diarrhoea malaria and pneumonia ndash are preventable by interventions
known to reduce environmental risks such as access to safe water and clean cooking fuels
hellip Harmful exposures can start in the motherrsquos womb and increase the risk of premature
birth Additionally when infants and pre-schoolers are exposed to indoor and outdoor air
pollution and second-hand smoke they have an increased risk of pneumonia in childhood
and a lifelong increased risk of chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma WHO
7
VA study highlights benefits of enhanced aspirin in
preventing certain cancers
1 March - Researchers know of aspirinrsquos benefits in preventing certain ailments mdash from
cardiovascular disease to most recently colorectal cancer But while the link to those two
conditions was made researchers also questioned how and if this ldquowonder drugrdquo could
work to ward off other types of cancers hellip [N]ew studies verify their theory of cancer-
prevention benefits based on aspirinrsquos effects on plateletsmdashblood cells that form clots to
stop bleeding hellip ldquoAlong with clotting platelets also play a role in forming new blood
vesselsrdquo Vijayan said ldquoThat action is normally beneficial such as when a new clot forms
after a wound and new vessels are needed to redirect blood flow But the same action can
help tumors grow Itrsquos this process that aspirin can interruptrdquo Aerotech News
Yellow fever mdash once again on the radar screen in the
Americas
8 March - hellip Over the past several weeks a fifth arbovirus yellow fever virus has broken out
in Brazil with the majority of the infections occurring in rural areas of the country These are
referred to as sylvatic or jungle cases since the typical transmission cycle occurs between
forest mosquitoes and forest-dwelling nonhuman primates with humans serving only as
incidental hosts In this ongoing outbreak health authorities have reported 234 confirmed
infections and 80 confirmed deaths as of February 2017 The high number of cases is out
of proportion to the number reported in a typical year in these areas Although there is
currently no evidence that human-to-human transmission through Aedes aegypti
mosquitoes (urban transmission) has occurred the outbreak is affecting areas in close
proximity to major urban centers where yellow fever vaccine is not routinely administered
This proximity raises concern that for the first time in decades urban transmission of yellow
fever will occur in Brazil Although it is highly unlikely that we will see yellow fever
outbreaks in the continental United States where mosquito density is low and risk of
exposure is limited it is possible that travel-related cases of yellow fever could occur with
brief periods of local transmission in warmer regions such as the Gulf Coast states where
A aegypti mosquitoes are prevalent The New England Journal of Medicine
ZIKA VIRUS
Blood donor screening finds 13 Zika rate in Puerto Rico
last year
7 March - In a study that expands on an earlier analysis screening of blood donations in
Puerto Rico last spring and summer found a 13 incidence of Zika virus hellip Assuming a 99-
day duration of viremia (virus in the blood) the investigators extrapolated that 469321
people on the island were infected during that period for an estimated cumulative
8
incidence of 129 (range 110 to 154) They further estimated that 69675 women of
reproductive age were infected in that time span or 97 of the total population of such
women
CIDRAP News Scan (first item)
Zika case counts in the US
Data reported to ArboNET for January 1 2015 ndash March 8 2017 CDC
US States
5109 Zika virus disease cases reported
4813 cases in travelers returning from affected
areas
221 cases acquired through presumed local
mosquito-borne transmission in Florida
(N=215) and Texas (N=6)
75 cases acquired through other routes
including sexual transmission (N=45)
congenital infection (N=28) laboratory
transmission (N=1) and person-to-person
through an unknown route (N=1)
US Territories
38099 Zika virus disease cases reported
147 cases in travelers returning from affected
areas
37952 cases acquired through presumed local
mosquito-borne transmission
0 cases acquired through other routes
Sexually transmitted cases are not reported for
US territories because with local transmission of
Zika virus it is not possible to determine
whether infection occurred due to mosquito-
borne or sexual transmission
top of page
INFLUENZA
APHC US Army Influenza Activity Report
For the week ending 25 February 2017 (Week 8)
Overall influenza activity and positive influenza A samples decreased in Army and civilian
populations
ILI Activity Army ILI (influenza-like illness) outpatient visits in week 8 were 13
higher than the same week last year
Influenza cases Seven hospitalized influenza-associated cases were reported to
APHC through DRSi in week 7 and all were non-AD beneficiaries
Viral specimens During week 8 980 of 2894 (34) lab specimens tested positive for
respiratory pathogens Of 697 influenza A-positive specimens RHC-A reported 402
(577) followed by RHC-C (254 364) RHC-P (25 36) RHC-E (15 22) and
CENTCOM (1 01) APHC
CDC Flu View - Weekly US Influenza Surveillance
Report
During week 8 (February 19-25 2017) influenza activity remained elevated in the United
9
States
Viral Surveillance The most frequently identified influenza virus subtype reported
by public health laboratories during week 8 was influenza A (H3) The percentage of
respiratory specimens testing positive for influenza in clinical laboratories remained
elevated
Pneumonia and Influenza Mortality The proportion of deaths attributed to
pneumonia and influenza (PampI) was above the system-specific epidemic threshold
in the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) Mortality Surveillance System
Influenza-associated Pediatric Deaths Six influenza-associated pediatric deaths
were reported CDC
ECDC Flu News Europe
Week 82017 (20-26 February 2017)
Influenza activity across the region while decreasing remained above levels
observed during the out of season period
The proportion of influenza virus detections among sentinel surveillance specimens
decreased to 33 from 38 in the previous week
The great majority of detected and subtyped influenza viruses were A(H3N2) and
while the proportion of type B viruses increased as commonly seen in the second
half of an influenza season their numbers remained low
The number of hospitalized laboratory-confirmed influenza cases reported
primarily in people aged 65 years or older continued to decrease
European Center for Disease Prevention and ControlWHO
Increase in human infections with avian influenza
A(H7N9) Virus during the fifth epidemic mdash China
October 2016ndashFebruary 2017
10 March - During March 2013ndashFebruary 24 2017 annual epidemics of avian influenza
A(H7N9) in China resulted in 1258 avian influenza A(H7N9) virus infections in humans being
reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) by the National Health and Family
Planning Commission of China and other regional sources During the first four epidemics
88 of patients developed pneumonia 68 were admitted to an intensive care unit and
41 died Candidate vaccine viruses (CVVs) were developed and vaccine was manufactured
based on representative viruses detected after the emergence of A(H7N9) virus in humans
in 2013 During the ongoing fifth epidemic (beginning October 1 2016) 460 human
infections with A(H7N9) virus have been reported hellip Although the clinical characteristics
and risk factors for human infections do not appear to have changed the reported human
infections during the fifth epidemic represent a significant increase compared with the first
four epidemics Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Update
NHRC Febrile Respiratory Illness Surveillance Update
For the week ending 2 January 2016
10
Influenza Fourteen cases of NHRC laboratory-confirmed influenza (AH3) among
US military basic trainees
FRI surveillance at all eight US military basic training centers indicated FRI rates
were elevated at Fort Jackson NRTC Great Lakes MCRD Parris Island Lackland AFB
and CGTC Cape May Naval Health Research Center
USAFSAM amp DHA DoD Global Laboratory-Based
Influenza Surveillance Program
During 12 - 25 February 2017 (Surveillance Weeks 7 amp 8) a total of 570 specimens were
collected from 49 locations Results were finalized for 455 specimens from 44 locations
During Week 7 one influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 144 influenza A(H3N2) and 28 influenza B
viruses were identified During Week 8 three influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 91 influenza
A(H3N2) one influenza A(H3N2) amp Influenza B and 14 influenza B viruses were identified
Approximately 50 of specimens tested positive for influenza during Week 7
Approximately 50 of specimens tested positive for influenza during Week 8 The influenza
percent positive for the season is approximately 35
US Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine amp Defense Health Agency
USDA has $80 million-$90 million to fight bird flu
9 March - The US Department of Agriculture has $80 million to $90 million left over from
the last major outbreak of bird flu to fight any new discoveries of the virus the
departments chief veterinary officer said on Thursday USDA must appeal to Congress if
more money is needed to fight the disease which was recently found in two US states and
also has been confirmed across Asia and in Europe Any potential request for emergency
funding is complicated as US President Donald Trumps choice for the position has not yet
been confirmed by the Senate Reuters
WHO Influenza Update
6 March - Influenza activity in the temperate zone of the northern hemisphere continued to
be elevated in some countries Influenza activity in many countries especially in East Asia
and Europe appeared to have already peaked Worldwide influenza A(H3N2) virus was
predominant The majority of influenza viruses characterized so far were similar antigenically
to the reference viruses contained in vaccines for use in the 2016-2017 northern hemisphere
influenza season Nearly all tested viruses collected recently for antiviral sensitivity were
susceptible to the neuraminidase inhibitor antiviral medications WHO
top of page
11
VETERINARYFOOD SAFETY
2 dead in multi-state Listeria outbreak traced to Vulto
cheese
9 March - Two people are dead and four others are confirmed sick with a strain of Listeria
monocytogenes found in cheese made from unpasteurized raw milk Vulto Creamery is
recalling the cheese from retailers and distributors nationwide Itrsquos been more than five
months since the first outbreak victim became sick on Sept 1 2016 but federal officials said
Jos Vulto owner of the Walton NY cheese operation initiated the recall as soon as he heard
about the ldquocannot rule outrdquo test results on his cheese He began pulling cheese back from
his customers March 3 and posted the public recall Tuesday Since then the Food and Drug
Administration has confirmed Listeria monocytogenes in Vultorsquos finished product hellip The
most recent illness began on Jan 22 Food Safety News
fMRI predicts if Fido is fit for service
7 March - Using functional MRI to identify certain areas of brain activity helped improved
predictions about which dogs were not suitable for service dog training a small study
found hellip [R]esearchers said they used fMRI on 43 service dogs prior to training -- 33 of
which completed training and were matched with a person and 10 of which were released
for behavioral reasons Dogs with a higher level of response in the amygdala an area of the
brain linked with excitability were more likely to fail the service training program This was a
modest improvement over current prediction methods that involve evaluating the dogs
temperament MedPage Today
Four more states report soy nut butter E coli infections
8 March - Four more people from four additional states became infected with Shiga toxin-
producing E coli O157H7 bacteria after consuming a certain brand of soy nut butter and
granola according to the CDC Missouri Virginia Washington and Wisconsin have all
reported individuals becoming ill after consuming IM Healthy Brand SoyNut Butter --
bringing the total affected to 16 Two additional people have been hospitalized with
hemolytic uremic syndrome All five individuals with this type of kidney failure were
children a CDC investigation found MedPage Today
The military kills 8500 pigs and goats every year for
medical training A new bill would end that
4 March - A bipartisan group of lawmakers is trying to stop the Defense Department from
killing about 8500 goats and pigs a year in medical training exercises designed to prepare
troops for combat Rep Hank Johnson D-Ga and Rep Tom Marino R-Pa introduced a bill
on Tuesday that would require the military to use only human-based methods to train
service members to treat injuries sustained on the battlefield and end the use of live tissue
12
training in which troops stab or shoot pigs and goats to simulate the treatment of combat
trauma by Oct 1 2020 Johnson told the Washington Examiner he intends to raise the issue
during debate on the fiscal 2018 National Defense Authorization Act and hopes to use the
must-pass bill as a vehicle to ban live-tissue training He said simulators offer better combat
training than live animals are more humane and are ultimately more cost-effective
Washington Examiner
top of page
WELLNESS
Arthritis afflicts about 1 in 4 adults in the US CDC
report finds
7 March - About one in four adults in the United States suffers from arthritis according to a
new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Vital Signs report published Tuesday Of
the 54 million people in the United States who have this debilitating condition not all are
elderly About 60 percent of those with arthritis were between the ages of 18 and 64 that is
working age Activity limitations from arthritis increased by 20 percent since 2002 the
report found Simple everyday tasks such as walking or lifting bags are challenging for 24
million people affected by the condition in the United States Even though movement is
painful and difficult for people with arthritis the report suggests that increased physical
activity can mitigate arthritis symptoms by 40 percent Despite the proven health benefits of
physical activity for arthritis symptoms about 1 in 3 adults with arthritis in the United States
self-reports being physically inactive The Washington Post
Is dieting passeacute Study finds fewer overweight people try
to lose weight
8 March - An increasing number of overweight Americans have lost the motivation to diet
according to a new study hellip Back in 1990 when researchers asked overweight Americans if
they were trying to lose weight 56 percent said yes But this has changed According to the
latest data just 49 percent say theyre trying This may not seem like a big decline But given
that about 2 out of every 3 Americans are either overweight or obese a decline of 7 percent
means millions more people may have given up on dieting The trend is particularly evident
among black women says study author Jian Zhang an epidemiologist at Georgia Southern
University mdash though the trend is seen across the population hellip Its a big concern study
author Jian Zhang told us Obesity increases the risk of a whole range of diseases and
theres a concern that people who are overweight and obese may be ignoring or
overlooking the risks Not everyone is convinced that the dip in dieting is bad Theres a
possible good news story in this says Janet Tomiyama a psychologist at UCLA who studies
eating behavior and weight stigma hellip Tomiyama says there are signs that the strong anti-fat
13
bias in our culture may be shifting NPR
Poor diet tied to nearly half of US deaths from heart
disease stroke diabetes
7 March - Ensuring that diets include the right amount of certain foods may help the US
cut deaths from heart disease stroke and type 2 diabetes by almost half suggests a new
study About 45 percent of deaths from those causes in 2012 could be blamed on people
eating too much or too little of 10 types of foods researchers found hellip [Renata] Micha and
colleagues identified 10 dietary components closely tied to heart disease stroke and type 2
diabetes sodium fruits vegetables whole grains nuts and seeds unprocessed red meats
processed meats polyunsaturated fats like soybean or corn oils seafood omega-3 fats and
sugar-sweetened beverages Based on participants food diaries the researchers estimated
that 318656 of the 702308 deaths from heart disease stroke or type 2 diabetes were tied
to people getting too much or too little of those 10 foods or dietary factors Reuters
Significant differences among occupational groups found
in short sleep duration
7 March - According to a new study published in the CDCrsquos Morbidity and Mortality Weekly
Report there are big differences in the amount of sleep people get depending on their
occupation ldquoWe found that overall prevalence of short sleep duration was 365 percent
among the working adults who responded to the survey ndash but sleep duration varied widely
by occupationrdquo said study author Taylor Shockey MPH of CDCrsquos National Institute for
Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) ldquoWorkers in occupations where alternative
shiftwork is common such as production health care and some transportation jobs were
more likely to have a higher adjusted prevalence of short sleep duration Workers in other
occupation groups such as teachers farmers or pilots were the most likely to report
getting enough sleeprdquo Among the 22 major occupational groups that were researched the
prevalence of short sleep duration ranged from 429 percent for production workers to 313
percent among workers in the farming fishing and forestry occupation group as well as the
education training and library occupation group Other groups that were found to have a
high percentage of short sleep durations include health care support health care
practitioners and technical food preparation and serving-related and protective service
Occupational Health amp Safety
The grateful life may be a longer one
7 March - Can a positive attitude save your life Therersquos not conclusive evidence but hints
are tantalizing enough that researchers hellip are trying to find out ldquoA lot of the long-term
research says if yoursquore an optimist yoursquore more likely to have better healthrdquo says Jeff
Huffman ldquoLetrsquos say yoursquore not an optimist mdash can we turn you into one Can we promote
that and teach that in a durable way [And] will it really work [to improve health] Itrsquos a big
and open questionrdquo The Cardiac Psychiatry Research Program combines exercises designed
to promote positive psychology in cardiac and diabetes patients with techniques known to
14
change behavior such as goal-setting to encourage patients to adhere to medication
regimens improve their diets and become more active The best chance for a positive
outlook to affect health is by promoting exercise Huffman says Harvard Gazette
Warm-ups cool-downs what works what doesnrsquot
8 March - hellip [S]cientists hellip decided to systematically
examine the effects of some of the worldrsquos best-known
warm-up programs the FIFA 11 and its recent update the
FIFA 11+ hellip [T]he original FIFA 11 warm-up is light and
quick lasting about 10 minutes and involving various
kinds of jumping shuffling and balancing exercises The
updated FIFA 11+ is more intense requiring repeated sprints and exercises such as squats
leg lifts and vertical leaps hellip [T]he new study systematically pooled data from the best
earlier studies Those boys girls men and women who regularly completed the FIFA 11+
warm-up before training or games were about 40 percent less likely to sustain knee ankle
hamstring and hip or groin injuries during the season than athletes who warmed up in
other ways Interestingly the easier FIFA 11 warm-up did not substantially reduce the
incidence of subsequent injuries The New York Times
top of page
USAFRICOM
Somalia says 110 dead in last 48 hours due to drought
4 March - Some 110 people have died in southern Somalia in the last two days from famine
and diarrhea resulting from a drought the prime minister said on Saturday as the area
braces itself for widespread shortages of food In February United Nations childrens agency
UNICEF said the drought in Somalia could lead to up to 270000 children suffering from
severe acute malnutrition this year It is a difficult situation for the pastoralists and their
livestock Some people have been hit by famine and diarrhea at the same time In the last
48 hours 110 people died due to famine and diarrhea in Bay region Prime Minister Hassan
Ali Khaires office said in a statement Reuters
South Sudan South Sudan will now charge $10000 for
an aid worker permit Why
7 March - Late last month famine was declared in two counties of the civil-war torn East
African country of South Sudan With 100000 people at risk for dying of starvation in that
area alone and millions more on the brink of crisis-level food shortages throughout the
country South Sudanese President Salva Kiir promised unimpeded access to humanitarian
aid organizations working there A few days later the South Sudanese government hiked the
15
fee for work permits for foreign aid workers from $100 to $10000 Its unclear whether the
fee would apply only to newcomers or to those already there as well Whatever the case the
amount is absolutely unheard of globally said Julien Schopp director for Humanitarian
Practice at InterAction an alliance of 180 nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) working
around the world No organization can afford this and if NGOs go to their institutional
donors to request that extra money Im pretty sure that [the donors] will be reluctant to pay
this because they will see this to some extent as ransom NPR
top of page
USCENTCOM
Afghanistan Afghan fighting pressures hospitals clinics
- childrens rights group
6 March - Hospitals and clinics in Afghanistan have increasingly been targeted by armed
groups over the past two years weakening an already degraded health system a childrens
rights group said in a report issued on Monday Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict
said attacks had further restricted or even blocked medical care in a country where almost a
third of the population of more than 30 million lacks access to basic health services Armed
groups had forced temporary or permanent closure of medical facilities damaged or
destroyed medical facilities looted medical supplies stolen ambulances threatened
intimidated extorted or detained medical personnel and occupied medical facilities for
military purposes it said The report hellip said there were 119 conflict-related incidents
targeting medical facilities and personnel last year quoting a figure from the United
Nations Mission in Afghanistan Reuters
Afghanistan ISIS militants disguised as doctors kill 38 in
Kabul hospital attack
8 March - Islamic State has claimed responsibility for an attack on a Kabul military hospital
by gunmen disguised as doctors who breached the facility and battled security forces for
hours More than 30 people died and dozens more were injured the Afghan defence
ministry said The attack began with a suicide bombing at the rear of the hospital complex
in the Afghan capital Officials said at least three gunmen dressed as medical staff then
entered the 400-bed Sardar Mohammad Daud Khan facility and took up positions on the
upper floors A second explosion was heard as Afghan special forces engaged the gunmen
and ldquoheavy fightingrdquo ensued a defence ministry spokesman said The Guardian
Iraq ISIS allegedly used chemical weapons in Mosul
battle injuring civilians
6 March - ISIS militants used chemical weapons during the battle for the city of Mosul last
16
week injuring a number of civilians according to a senior Iraqi security official The officials
assessment comes after the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) issued a
statement last week saying that their workers had treated patients from Mosul who were
suffering from symptoms consistent with exposure to a toxic chemical agent Over a
number of days last week the ICRC said it treated 15 such patients hellip It was certainly [the
result of] a toxic chemical agent because their symptoms were absolutely clear People had
blisters they vomited They had irritation in the eyes and coughed she added The World
Health Organization said in a statement that hellip the use of chemical weapons is a war
crime Both the WHO and ICRC said that the patients symptoms were consistent with
exposure to a blistering agent NBC News
Syria Syrian children suffer staggering levels of trauma
and distress ndash report
6 March - A Save the Children study says Syriarsquos mental
health crisis has reached a tipping point and that severe
distress among children could cause life-long damage
The report says 58 million of children in Syria are in need
of aid Children in Syria are suffering from ldquotoxic stressrdquo a
severe form of psychological trauma that can cause life-
long damage according to a study that charts a rise in self-harm and suicide attempts
among children as young as 12 hellip More than 70 of children interviewed experienced
common symptoms of ldquotoxic stressrdquo or post-traumatic stress disorder such as bedwetting
the study found Loss of speech aggression and substance abuse are also commonplace
About 48 of adults reported seeing children who have lost the ability to speak or who
have developed speech impediments since the war began hellip The majority of children
interviewed showed signs of ldquosevere emotional stressrdquo and 78 of them felt grief and
extreme sadness some of the time The Guardian
top of page
USEUCOM
EuropeUS Mutual Recognition promises new
framework for pharmaceutical inspections for United
States and European Union
2 March - The United States and the European Union (EU) completed an exchange of letters
to amend the Pharmaceutical Annex to the 1998 US-EU Mutual Recognition Agreement
Under this agreement US and EU regulators will be able to utilize each otherrsquos good
manufacturing practice inspections of pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities The
17
amended agreement represents the culmination of nearly three years of US Food and Drug
Administration and EU cooperation as part of the Mutual Reliance Initiative and will allow
the FDA and EU drug inspectors to rely upon information from drug inspections conducted
within each otherrsquos borders Ultimately this will enable the FDA and EU to avoid the
duplication of drug inspections lower inspection costs and enable regulators to devote
more resources to other parts of the world where there may be greater risk FDA
Israel marijuana Users to face fine rather than criminal
charge
5 March - The Israeli government has taken steps to reduce the penalties for personal
marijuana use It backed plans to issue fines initially and only resort to criminal charges for
repeat offenders Selling buying and producing the drug will remain illegal and the move
must still be ratified by parliament According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime almost
9 of Israelis use cannabis though some experts believe the figure to be higher The move
follows recommendations by a committee set up to study the issue and moves by a
number of US states and European nations to decriminalise use of the drug BBC News
Romania Measles outbreak in Romania - ECDC assesses
the risk of spread to and sustained transmission in
EUEEA countries
7 March - An outbreak of measles is ongoing in Romania From the end of September 2016
to 17 February 2017 the Romanian National Institute of Public Health received reports of
3071 cases of measles Cases continue to be reported despite ongoing response measures
at national level through reinforced vaccination activities hellip Considering the size and
geographical spread of the ongoing measles outbreak in Romania the likelihood of
exportation of measles cases is high Between 1 February 2016 and 31 January 2017 ECDC
received reports of 4484 cases of measles from 30 EUEEA countries hellip Given that the
vaccination coverage target [of 95] is still to be reached in a number of EUEEA countries
the risk of spread and sustained transmission from areas where measles transmission is
occurring in areas with susceptible populations is high Eurosurveillance
Romania Romanias healthcare exodus
9 March - hellip Romania has bled out tens of thousands of doctors nurses dentists and
pharmacists since joining the European Union a decade ago lured abroad by what the
country lacks significantly higher pay modern infrastructure and functional healthcare
systems France Germany and Britain are among the most popular destinations The
consequences are dire Romania is one of the EU states with the fewest doctors Nearly a
third of hospital positions are vacant and the health ministry estimates one in four
Romanians has insufficient access to essential healthcare hellip This despite the fact that
Romania is a leading EU state when it comes to the number of medical graduates Reuters
18
Switzerland Measles outbreaks continue to plague
Switzerland
28 February - Switzerland is on track to see the most cases of measles in years in 2017
Vaccinations are on the rise but the government recently admitted its eradication strategy
has failed In 1987 the Federal Health Office announced a vaccination strategy that it hoped
would eradicate measles by the year 2000 Seventeen years after that deadline the
vaccination rate lies at 87 below the 95 that the World Health Organization deems a
target for eradication Daniel Koch head of the infectious disease unit at the Federal Health
Office told swissinfoch that ldquothe number of people who are vaccinated has been
consistently rising but wersquore not yet where we want to berdquo Over the past several decades
Switzerland has had significant outbreaks roughly every four years In a long-term outbreak
between 2006 and 2009 Switzerland reached the highest measles rate in Europe with 4371
registered cases SWI
United Kingdom Nestleacute to remove 10 of sugar from all
snacks in UK and Ireland by 2018
7 March - Nestleacute one of the worldrsquos biggest chocolate manufacturers will take 10 of the
sugar out of its confectionery in the UK and Ireland by 2018 The corporation says the cut is
from the levels existing in its sugary products in 2015 and will amount to about 7500
tonnes The announcement follows public concern over the quantity of sugar in the
countryrsquos diet and its contribution to rising obesity levels The threat of a sugar levy on soft
drinks has encouraged the reformulation of Irn Bru and Lucozade which will escape the tax
although there have been no such moves by PepsiCo or Coca-Cola hellip Nestleacute says it will not
use artificial sweeteners in its confectionery Instead it plans to replace sugar with higher
quantities of existing ingredients or other non-artificial ingredients and ensuring products
are below a certain amount of calories The Guardian
top of page
USNORTHCOM
Canada Dallaire testifies mefloquine drug impaired
thought process in Rwanda
7 March - The Canadian army officer who led the UN peacekeeping mission during the
Rwandan genocide says the antimalarial drug mefloquine affected his thought processes
during his deployment but the military refused to let him stop taking it Romeacuteo Dallaire the
human rights activist retired lieutenant-general and former senator who speaks openly
about his struggles with post-traumatic stress syndrome told the Commons veterans affairs
19
committee this week that mefloquine interferes with the ability to make quick decisions in
military theatres hellip Soldiers who were given mefloquine in Somalia in the early 1990s as
part of a poorly administered ndash and possibly illegal ndash clinical trial run by the Department of
National Defence have told the veterans affairs committee that the medication caused
lasting brain damage hellip Health Canada began in December to review available information
about any causal link between the use of mefloquine and persistent neurological or
psychiatric adverse events their frequency and severity and whether any particular segment
of the population is at increased risk The Globe and Mail
US CDC wants better data to manage global
communicable diseases
6 March - To better understand how diseases travel with international airline passengers
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is seeking advanced global aviation
intelligence data and analytical tools to enhance the agencyrsquos ability to analyze global
aviation patterns In a request for proposals posted Feb 16 the CDC said it needs more
advanced data and tools because air travel has become an increasingly common conduit for
the spread of disease ldquoThe need is immediate and ongoing for a single secure and web-
based global aviation database and analytical application to support analysis of aviation
global capacity and domestic and international passenger traffic (historical and future)rdquo the
RFP said GCN
US EPA chief unconvinced on CO2 link to global
warming
9 March - The new head of the Environmental Protection Agency said on Thursday he is not
convinced that carbon dioxide from human activity is the main driver of climate change and
said he wants Congress to weigh in on whether CO2 is a harmful pollutant that should be
regulated In an interview with CNBC EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt said the Trump
administration will make an announcement on fuel efficiency standards for cars very soon
stressing that he and President Donald Trump believe current standards were rushed
through Pruitt 48 is a climate change denier who sued the agency he now leads more than
a dozen times as Oklahomas attorney general He said he was not convinced that carbon
dioxide pollution from burning fossil fuels like oil gas and coal is the main cause of climate
change a conclusion widely embraced by scientists Reuters
US EPA environmental justice leader resigns amid
White House plans to dismantle program
9 March - A key environmental justice leader at the Environmental Protection Agency has
resigned saying that a recent budget proposal to defund such work would harm the people
who most rely on the EPA Mustafa Ali a senior advisor and assistant associate
administrator for environmental justice has served more than two decades at the agency
working to ease the burden of air and water pollution in hundreds of poor minority
20
communities nationwide He helped found the EPArsquos environmental justice office during the
early 1990s and became a key adviser to agency administrators under Republican and
Democratic presidents hellip [T]he White House is seeking to close the agencyrsquos Office of
Environmental Justice hellip [T]he new administration hellip ldquoassumes any future EJ specific policy
work can be transferred to the Office of Policyrdquo The Washington Post
US FDA has encouraged development but needs to
clarify the role of draft guidance and develop qualified
infectious disease product guidance
January 2017 - Antibiotics have long played a key role in treating infections but this role is
threatened by growing resistance to existing antibiotics and the decline in the development
of new drugs hellip The [Generating Antibiotic Incentives Now (GAIN)] provisions created the
[qualified infectious disease products (QIDP)] designation and its associated incentives to
encourage the development of new drugs to treat serious or life-threatening infections
While it is too soon to tell if GAIN has stimulated the development of new drugs GAO was
asked to provide information on FDArsquos efforts to implement GAIN hellip GAO recommends that
FDA clarify the role of draft guidance for and develop written guidance on the QIDP
designation to help drug sponsors better understand the designation and its associated
incentives HHS said it would consider GAOrsquos first recommendation and agreed with the
second GAO believes the first recommendation should also be adopted GAO
US Forbidding forecast for Lyme disease in the
northeast
6 March - hellip [Rick] Keesing and [Felicia] Ostfeld who have
studied Lyme for more than 20 years have come up with an
early warning system for the disease They can predict how
many cases there will be a year in advance by looking at one
key measurement Count the mice the year before The
number of critters scampering around the forest in the
summer correlates to the Lyme cases the following summer theyve reported The
explanation is simple Mice are highly efficient transmitters of Lyme They infect up to 95
percent of ticks that feed on them Mice are responsible for infecting the majority of ticks
carrying Lyme in the Northeast And ticks love mice An individual mouse might have 50
60 even 100 ticks covering its ears and face Ostfeld says So that mouse plague last year
means there is going to be a Lyme plague this year NPR
US Obamacare repeal guts crucial public health funds
8 March - The latest Republican health-care bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act would
eliminate funds for fundamental public health programs including for the prevention of
bioterrorism and disease outbreaks as well as money to provide immunizations and heart-
disease screenings As part of the ACA or Obamacare the Prevention and Public Health
21
Fund provides almost $1 billion annually to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Since 2010 the fund has been an increasingly important source of money for core CDC
programs today accounting for about 12 percent of the CDCrsquos total budget The GOP bill
would eliminate the Prevention and Public Health Fund starting in October of next year No
clear replacement has been proposed The Washington Post
US Patients demand the right to try experimental
drugs but costs can be steep 3 March - In the last three years 33 US states have passed laws aimed at helping dying
people get easier access to experimental treatments that are still in the early stages of
human testing Supporters say these patients are just looking for the right to try these
treatments Such laws sound compassionate but medical ethicists warn they pose
worrisome risks to the health and finances of vulnerable patients hellip Dr R Adams Dudley
director of UCSFs Center for Healthcare Value [says] If we take the FDA out of it how do
we protect people from physicians or drug companies that will want to sell them things and
will want to prey on their desperation hellip Patients could spend huge amounts of money
trying a drug that hasnt been proved to work he says And the patient may also be giving
up their hopes for a controlled peaceful death at home NPR
US Ten million lives saved by 1962 breakthrough study
says 3 March - Nearly 200 million cases of polio measles mumps rubella varicella adenovirus
rabies and hepatitis Amdashand approximately 450000 deaths from these diseasesmdashwere
prevented in the US alone between 1963 and 2015 by vaccination researchers estimate
In 1963 vaccination against these infections became widespread thanks to the
development of a human cell strain that allowed vaccines to be produced safely Globally
the vaccines developed from this strain and its derivatives prevented an estimated 45
billion cases of disease and saved more than 10 million lives Author S Jay Olshansky
professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of Illinois at Chicago School of
Public Health hellip used previously-published data on cases and deaths for each disease in the
US in 1960 before vaccines were available for these diseases Medical Xpress
US US skin disease burden expected to increase 3 March - More than one-fourth of Americans (27) were seen by a physician for skin
disease in 2013 and they averaged 16 skin diseases each researchers found Skin disease
costs at least $75 billion to treat in a single year and is an especially big problem in the 65-
and-older population which tends to get more skin diseases due to lifelong cumulative sun
exposure and increasing susceptibility to bacterial viral and fungal diseases With the
projected increase in the age group 65 years and older in the US population combined
with the increased costs of currently in-use and newly developed dermatologic treatment
options the economic burden of skin disease will continue to grow the investigators
wrote MedPage Today
top of page
22
USPACOM
India India abortion - police find 19 female foetuses
6 March - Police in the western Indian state of Maharashtra have found 19 aborted female
foetuses near a hospital Senior police officials in Sangli district said the remains were
buried with the intention of disposing them The police told the BBC that they found the
foetuses while they were investigating the death of a woman who had undergone an illegal
abortion Activists say the incident proves yet again that female foeticide is rampant in India
despite awareness campaigns The police said that the woman had died in a botched
abortion and they were looking for the foetus near a local hospital when they made the
grisly discovery It appears to be an abortion racket We have arrested the husband of the
woman and have launched a manhunt for the doctor who has gone missing Dattatray
Shinde superintendent of police told the BBC BBC News
India Missing the signals - Indiarsquos anti-vaccination social
media campaign
7 March - India recently launched a one-month campaign to vaccinate over 35 million
9-month to 15-year old children with a measles-rubella vaccine across five states The
campaign marked the start of a two-year initiative aiming to vaccinate over 400 million
children across India ndash part of a larger global effort to eliminate measles and rubella By the
end of the first month of the campaign it became clear that it was struggling to meet its
goal A different kind of campaign was circulating on WhatsApp and Facebook ndash fuelling a
mix of conspiracy theories safety concerns and questioning around why the vaccine and
the campaign were needed Whatrsquos more the rumours were taking hold in the wealthier
southern states with generally the best education and health indicators in the country
The Vaccine Confidence Project
Myanmar Tuberculosis kills 14 in Myanmarrsquos remote
north
9 March - At least 14 people have died from pulmonary tuberculosis in a remote and
impoverished region in Myanmarrsquos north this year according to officials Thursday The
illness characterized by a persistent cough has hit two villages in Lahe Township of the
mountainous Naga region located around 1300 kilometers (800 miles) from Myanmarrsquos
largest city Yangon Maung Kal a lawmaker representing the area told Anadolu Agency on
Thursday that 14 middle-aged people -- including six women -- have succumbed to the
disease over the past two months hellip According to World Health Organization (WHO)
estimates more than 150000 people suffer from tuberculosis in Myanmar which is
currently included in a list of 30 countries recognized as high-burden with the infectious
respiratory disease Anadolu Agency
top of page
23
USSOUTHCOM
Brazil WHO expands vaccination advice as yellow fever
covers southeast Brazil state
7 March - The entire Brazilian state of Espirito Santo is now considered at risk for yellow
fever transmission the World Health Organization says raising concerns the deadly virus
could spread to the nations biggest cities An ongoing yellow fever outbreak has so far
been limited to rural areas hellip [b]ut there are growing concerns the virus could spread to
urban centers like Rio de Janeiro Sao Paulo Belo Horizonte and Vitoria - areas where tens
of millions live Reuters
Ecuador Leads desperate artisans
Spring 2017 - hellip Lead has been used in ceramic glazes for thousands of years for its
beautiful and strong finishmdashbut more importantlymdashbecause it enables the glaze to melt at
a lower temperature facilitating the use of backyard low-fire kilns In La Victoria to get the
lead for these glazes artisans turned to the lead plates from car batteries manually
removing them and melting them down in their kilns This process aerosolized the lead
enabling it to be inhaled by people and distributed across the environment widely
contaminating soil foods objects and homes hellip [Edgar] Neto tells me that environmental
health inspections should be done in La Victoria every three months but there are no police
to enforce the environmental laws Although no one in La Victoria tells stories of fines levied
for crimes against the environment the social structure within the political and artisan
associations here is strong and much of the lead use among artisans has changed hellip While
excessive exposure and acute lead toxicity may have abated leadrsquos potential for health
problems continuesmdashin the form of chronic exposure Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health
top of page
24
US Military | Global | Influenza | VeterinaryFood Safety | Wellness | Contact Us
USAFRICOM | USCENTCOM | USEUCOM | USNORTHCOM | USPACOM | USSOUTHCOM
The Army Public Health Weekly Update does not analyze the information as to its strategic or tactical impact on the US Army and is not a medical
intelligence product Medical intelligence is available from the National Center for Medical Intelligence
External Links The appearance of external hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the US Army of this Web site or the information products
or services contained therein For other than authorized activities such as military exchanges and MWR sites the US Army does not exercise any
editorial control over the information you may find at these locations Such links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of this product
Although we avoid links to sites that may be blocked all sites may not be accessible from all locations While we verify the links at the time of
publication we cannot guarantee that they will be active in the future
Articles appearing in the Update do not necessarily represent US Army Medical Command opinionsviews policy or guidance and should not be
construed or interpreted as being endorsed by the US Army Medical Command
The Army Public Health Weekly Update is published by the Public Health Information Directorate Army Public Health Center
2
Follow us
YouTube
VETERINARYFOOD SAFETY
2 dead in multi-state Listeria outbreak traced to Vulto cheese
fMRI predicts if Fido is fit for service
Four more states report soy nut butter E coli infections
The military kills 8500 pigs and goats every year for medical training A new bill would end that
WELLNESS
Arthritis afflicts about 1 in 4 adults in the US CDC report finds
Is dieting passeacute Study finds fewer overweight people try to lose weight
Poor diet tied to nearly half of US deaths from heart disease stroke diabetes
Significant differences among occupational groups found in short sleep duration
The grateful life may be a longer one
Warm-ups cool-downs what works what doesnrsquot
USAFRICOM
Somalia says 110 dead in last 48 hours due to drought
South Sudan South Sudan will now charge $10000 for an aid worker permit Why
USCENTCOM
Afghanistan Afghan fighting pressures hospitals clinics - childrens rights group
Afghanistan ISIS militants disguised as doctors kill 38 in Kabul hospital attack
Iraq ISIS allegedly used chemical weapons in Mosul battle injuring civilians
Syria Syrian children suffer staggering levels of trauma and distress ndash report
USEUCOM
EuropeUS Mutual Recognition promises new framework for pharmaceutical inspections for
United States and European Union
Israel marijuana Users to face fine rather than criminal charge
Romania Measles outbreak in Romania - ECDC assesses the risk of spread to and sustained
transmission in EUEEA countries
Romania Romanias healthcare exodus
Switzerland Measles outbreaks continue to plague Switzerland
United Kingdom Nestleacute to remove 10 of sugar from all snacks in UK and Ireland by 2018
USNORTHCOM
Canada Dallaire testifies mefloquine drug impaired thought process in Rwanda
US CDC wants better data to manage global communicable diseases
US EPA chief unconvinced on CO2 link to global warming
US EPA environmental justice leader resigns amid White House plans to dismantle program
US FDA has encouraged development but needs to clarify the role of draft guidance and
develop qualified infectious disease product guidance
US Forbidding forecast for Lyme disease in the northeast
US Obamacare repeal guts crucial public health funds
US Patients demand the right to try experimental drugs but costs can be steep
US Ten million lives saved by 1962 breakthrough study says
US US skin disease burden expected to increase
USPACOM
India India abortion - police find 19 female foetuses
India Missing the signals - Indiarsquos anti-vaccination social media campaign
Myanmar Tuberculosis kills 14 in Myanmarrsquos remote north
3
Highlights of the
2013 ndash 2014
Behavioral Health ndash
Risk Assessment
Data Report
Of Soldiers that had
deployed within 5 years of
the PHA
10 screened positive
for symptoms of
depression and 13
screened positive for
symptoms of PTSD
16 of Soldiers
screened positive 90-
180 days post-
deployment for
hazardous drinking
USSOUTHCOM
Brazil WHO expands vaccination advice as yellow fever covers southeast Brazil state
Ecuador Leads desperate artisans
US MILITARY
Army develops life-saving device that warns medics
before patients go into shock or bleed out
4 March - Army researchers have developed a device that can tell when a wounded person
is in danger of going into shock or dying from blood loss The life-saving device fits on a
fingertip and its the first technology that gives early warning that a trauma patient is close
to circulatory shock the researchers say The device called the Compensatory Reserve
Index can save lives including soldiers wounded on the battlefield by showing medics
when a patient is about to go into hemorrhagic shock according to a release from the
Military Health System Hemorrhagic shock is the leading cause of death among trauma
victims Now the CRI has been cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration to be
used in hospital settings and in treatment before a patient gets to the hospital Army Times
Incidence rates of malignant melanoma in relation to
years of military service hellip US Armed Forces 2001ndash
2015
February 2017 - During the 15-year surveillance period there were 2233 incident diagnoses
of malignant melanoma among members of the active component of the US military hellip
Unadjusted incidence rates were highest in the fixed-wing pilot crew group (245 per
10000 p-yrs) lowest in the infantry special operations combat engineer group (077 per
10000 p-yrs) and intermediate among healthcare providers (133 per 10000 p-yrs) and all
others (107 per 10000 p-yrs) During the 15-year period rates of malignant melanoma
diagnoses among US military members overall increased in an exponential fashion in
relation to years of active service However this relationship varied across occupational
groups Most notably after several years of service rates of melanoma diagnoses increased
relatively rapidly among pilots and the crews of fixed-wing aircraft (eg fighters bombers
cargopersonnel transporters) and those in occupations inherently conducted outdoors
(eg infantry special operations combat engineers) In contrast melanoma diagnosis rates
increased relatively slowly among healthcare providers and those in ldquootherrdquo military
occupations Medical Surveillance Monthly Report
VA expands mental health care for discharged veterans
8 March - The Department of Veterans Affairs will offer urgent mental health care beginning
this summer to thousands of former service members with less-than-honorable discharges
part of its expanded initiative to stem stubbornly high rates of suicide VA Secretary David
4
Fact Sheet
Perfluorooctane
Sulfonate (PFOS) amp
Perfluorooctanoic
Acid (PFOA) in
Drinking Water -
Frequently Asked
Questions for
Consumers
Army-owned or operated
drinking water systems are
being sampled for PFOS
and PFOA as part of the
Armyrsquos ongoing effort to
ensure good quality
drinking water
The Army will inform
consumers of sampling
results and the actions
taken to eliminate or
reduce PFOS and PFOA in
water systems if
concentrations are
detected above the LHA
levels
Shulkin said Wednesday the additional coverage was needed to help former service
members who are more likely to have mental health distress He said the department
couldnt wait for legislation and needed to act now noting that the vast majority of veterans
who took their lives had not been connected to VA care hellip By June or July the VA said it will
specifically provide the mental health care to those with other than honorable discharges
from the military typically for misconduct such as violence or use of illegal drugs Currently
such discharges can prevent veterans from receiving federal benefits hellip The VA is also
seeking to hire 1000 more mental health providers and establish strong hubs to reach
veterans with mental health assistance by phone in rural parts of the country Fox News
top of page
GLOBAL
Can salted doorknobs prevent superbug infections
3 March - hellip [One] option [to combat superbugs like Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus
aureus] is to coat those frequently fondled objects most likely to carry the bugsmdash
doorknobs bed rails toilet handlesmdashwith a special anti-microbial surface like copper hellip
Brayden Whitlock a graduate student at the University of Alberta [designed] a pilot study
that put salt and copper head to head Coupon-sized strips of pure compressed sodium
chloride were covered in an MRSA culture alongside similar strips of antimicrobial copper
and stainless steel Whitlock found that salt killed off the bug 20 to 30 times faster than the
copper did reducing MRSA levels by 85 percent after 20 seconds and by 94 percent after a
minute hellip [Other] researchers hellip have found another potential medical use for salt this time
as a coating on surgical masks These masks are designed to trap viruses that wearers are
carrying like influenza but need to be thrown away after a single use hellip Hyo-Jick Choi hellip
found that soaking the inner membrane of a common surgical mask in a solution of sodium
chloride made the mask actually able to destroy the flu virus outright which could allow for
multiple uses The Atlantic
Health of ticks may be key to health of humans
7 March - Doctors and researchers say preventing Lyme
and other diseases would be preferable to trying to
treat the conditions [Joao] Pedra has some ideas about
how scientific discoveries from his lab may eventually
contribute to prevention efforts One avenue could be a
vaccine that protects people by producing an antibody
in humans that is transferred to feasting ticks so they dont feed well and fall off before they
can pass on a germ Another path could involve spraying much like people do for
mosquitoes The spray would contain a compound that triggers over-activity in the ticks
immune system preventing them from harboring threatening microbes hellip There will be
5
CDC Workshops on
Emerging Infectious
Disease
Preparedness
Beginning this month the
Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention and
National Ebola Training amp
Education Center will offer
two free training
workshops on emerging
infectious disease
preparedness for clinicians
health care workers and
public health officials
Details and Registration
challenges however for other researchers in translating the science into specific preventive
measures he said One challenge [is] the ticks relatively long life cycle of two to three years
which makes manipulating and studying ticks more laborious compared with mosquitoes
that live less than two months The Baltimore Sun
New technique uses gold nanoparticles to rapidly detect
Ebola
7 March - Researchers from the University at Albany have developed a test that can detect
the presence of Ebola virus from a urine sample much faster and more cost-effectively than
current methods The technique hellip relies on biomarkers and gold nanoparticles which if
triggered turn the sample red to indicate infection or purple to indicate no infection
Certain biomarkers for Ebola can be found in urine and the gold nanoparticles are
functionalized with DNA receptors that can bind to these Ebola biomarkers and trigger a
chain reaction hellip It is a fairly simple method that allows for visual detection of Ebola in
minutes hellip Overall the team tested 25 urine samples containing four biomarkers associated
with Ebola The method produced accurate results in 24 samples including each of the four
subtypes of Ebola hellip Overall the process takes about four to five hours which compared to
current standard Ebola detection methods that can take several days for results is a vast
improvement Bioscience Technology
NIH-funded study helps explain how zebrafish recover
from blinding injuries
9 March - Researchers hellip have discovered that in zebrafish decreased levels of the
neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) cue the retina the light-sensing tissue
in the back of the eye to produce stem cells The finding sheds light on how the zebrafish
regenerates its retina after injury and informs efforts to restore vision in people who are
blind hellip This work opens up new ideas for therapies for blinding diseases and has
implications for the broader field of regenerative medicine said Tom Greenwell PhD NIH
Pipe-climbing bacteria might spread infection from
hospital sinks
1 March - Bacteria can thrive in p-traps those ldquoU
bendsrdquo below sink drains that collect everything from
errant earrings to lost toothpaste tube caps Thatrsquos a big
problem especially in hospitals where sinks have been
linked to a slew of bacterial outbreaks To determine
exactly how the pathogens spread scientists built a row
of five sinks in a setup similar to that in many hospitals with all of them draining into the
same pipe hellip [S]cientists seeded p-traps with harmless fluorescent bacteria to see where
the microbes traveled hellip [T]he bacteria flourished shimmying up the pipe at a rate of about
25 centimeters per day to contaminate sink drain covers There faucet water splattered the
6
Classified Version of
the Weekly Update
An Army Public Health
Weekly Update is available
with articles classified up to
the SECRET level from the
USAPHC SIPRNet site
httpphcarmysmilmil
Look under Hot Topics amp
Current Issues
To access this version you
will need a SECRET
clearance and a SIPRNet
account
Links
A-Z Index
About APHC
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(AKO)
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bacteria around the sink bowl and countertop Science
Study Half of the studies you read about in the news are
wrong
3 March - hellip A single study is rarely the final answer And yet for science reporters new
studies are irresistible mdash a bold new finding makes a great headline hellip The problem isnrsquot
necessarily that these studies are poorly designed (although some of them may be) The
problem is that each headline gives an incomplete glimpse of how science works One lab
produces a result Another lab mdash ideally mdash tries to replicate that result Rinse and repeat
Eventually someone needs to do a meta-review of the totality of the evidence on the
question to reach a conclusion That meta-review rather than any one study in isolation is
likely to get closer to the true answer Yet as researchers in PLOS One recently found
journalists typically only cover those initial papers mdash and skip over writing about the
clarifying meta-reviews that come later on VOX
Surgery or drugs Doctorsrsquo pay may influence choice
8 March - Sometimes doctors choose to do surgery not because it is absolutely preferable
to other treatments but because they get reimbursed for it a new study suggests
Researchers looked at patients with a narrowed artery in the neck a condition called carotid
artery stenosis that can be treated with surgery or managed with medicine and lifestyle
changes The choice is often a judgment call Some were treated in a fee-for-service system
which pays doctors for every procedure they do Others were treated by doctors on salary at
a military hospital After adjusting for health behavioral and socioeconomic variables they
found that over all patients in the fee-for-service system were 63 percent more likely to
have surgery than those in the salary system The New York Times
The cost of a polluted environment 17 million child
deaths a year says WHO
6 March - More than 1 in 4 deaths of children under 5 years of age are attributable to
unhealthy environments Every year environmental risks ndash such as indoor and outdoor air
pollution second-hand smoke unsafe water lack of sanitation and inadequate hygiene ndash
take the lives of 17 million children under 5 years say two new WHO reports The first
report Inheriting a Sustainable World Atlas on Childrenrsquos Health and the Environment
reveals that a large portion of the most common causes of death among children aged 1
month to 5 years ndash diarrhoea malaria and pneumonia ndash are preventable by interventions
known to reduce environmental risks such as access to safe water and clean cooking fuels
hellip Harmful exposures can start in the motherrsquos womb and increase the risk of premature
birth Additionally when infants and pre-schoolers are exposed to indoor and outdoor air
pollution and second-hand smoke they have an increased risk of pneumonia in childhood
and a lifelong increased risk of chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma WHO
7
VA study highlights benefits of enhanced aspirin in
preventing certain cancers
1 March - Researchers know of aspirinrsquos benefits in preventing certain ailments mdash from
cardiovascular disease to most recently colorectal cancer But while the link to those two
conditions was made researchers also questioned how and if this ldquowonder drugrdquo could
work to ward off other types of cancers hellip [N]ew studies verify their theory of cancer-
prevention benefits based on aspirinrsquos effects on plateletsmdashblood cells that form clots to
stop bleeding hellip ldquoAlong with clotting platelets also play a role in forming new blood
vesselsrdquo Vijayan said ldquoThat action is normally beneficial such as when a new clot forms
after a wound and new vessels are needed to redirect blood flow But the same action can
help tumors grow Itrsquos this process that aspirin can interruptrdquo Aerotech News
Yellow fever mdash once again on the radar screen in the
Americas
8 March - hellip Over the past several weeks a fifth arbovirus yellow fever virus has broken out
in Brazil with the majority of the infections occurring in rural areas of the country These are
referred to as sylvatic or jungle cases since the typical transmission cycle occurs between
forest mosquitoes and forest-dwelling nonhuman primates with humans serving only as
incidental hosts In this ongoing outbreak health authorities have reported 234 confirmed
infections and 80 confirmed deaths as of February 2017 The high number of cases is out
of proportion to the number reported in a typical year in these areas Although there is
currently no evidence that human-to-human transmission through Aedes aegypti
mosquitoes (urban transmission) has occurred the outbreak is affecting areas in close
proximity to major urban centers where yellow fever vaccine is not routinely administered
This proximity raises concern that for the first time in decades urban transmission of yellow
fever will occur in Brazil Although it is highly unlikely that we will see yellow fever
outbreaks in the continental United States where mosquito density is low and risk of
exposure is limited it is possible that travel-related cases of yellow fever could occur with
brief periods of local transmission in warmer regions such as the Gulf Coast states where
A aegypti mosquitoes are prevalent The New England Journal of Medicine
ZIKA VIRUS
Blood donor screening finds 13 Zika rate in Puerto Rico
last year
7 March - In a study that expands on an earlier analysis screening of blood donations in
Puerto Rico last spring and summer found a 13 incidence of Zika virus hellip Assuming a 99-
day duration of viremia (virus in the blood) the investigators extrapolated that 469321
people on the island were infected during that period for an estimated cumulative
8
incidence of 129 (range 110 to 154) They further estimated that 69675 women of
reproductive age were infected in that time span or 97 of the total population of such
women
CIDRAP News Scan (first item)
Zika case counts in the US
Data reported to ArboNET for January 1 2015 ndash March 8 2017 CDC
US States
5109 Zika virus disease cases reported
4813 cases in travelers returning from affected
areas
221 cases acquired through presumed local
mosquito-borne transmission in Florida
(N=215) and Texas (N=6)
75 cases acquired through other routes
including sexual transmission (N=45)
congenital infection (N=28) laboratory
transmission (N=1) and person-to-person
through an unknown route (N=1)
US Territories
38099 Zika virus disease cases reported
147 cases in travelers returning from affected
areas
37952 cases acquired through presumed local
mosquito-borne transmission
0 cases acquired through other routes
Sexually transmitted cases are not reported for
US territories because with local transmission of
Zika virus it is not possible to determine
whether infection occurred due to mosquito-
borne or sexual transmission
top of page
INFLUENZA
APHC US Army Influenza Activity Report
For the week ending 25 February 2017 (Week 8)
Overall influenza activity and positive influenza A samples decreased in Army and civilian
populations
ILI Activity Army ILI (influenza-like illness) outpatient visits in week 8 were 13
higher than the same week last year
Influenza cases Seven hospitalized influenza-associated cases were reported to
APHC through DRSi in week 7 and all were non-AD beneficiaries
Viral specimens During week 8 980 of 2894 (34) lab specimens tested positive for
respiratory pathogens Of 697 influenza A-positive specimens RHC-A reported 402
(577) followed by RHC-C (254 364) RHC-P (25 36) RHC-E (15 22) and
CENTCOM (1 01) APHC
CDC Flu View - Weekly US Influenza Surveillance
Report
During week 8 (February 19-25 2017) influenza activity remained elevated in the United
9
States
Viral Surveillance The most frequently identified influenza virus subtype reported
by public health laboratories during week 8 was influenza A (H3) The percentage of
respiratory specimens testing positive for influenza in clinical laboratories remained
elevated
Pneumonia and Influenza Mortality The proportion of deaths attributed to
pneumonia and influenza (PampI) was above the system-specific epidemic threshold
in the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) Mortality Surveillance System
Influenza-associated Pediatric Deaths Six influenza-associated pediatric deaths
were reported CDC
ECDC Flu News Europe
Week 82017 (20-26 February 2017)
Influenza activity across the region while decreasing remained above levels
observed during the out of season period
The proportion of influenza virus detections among sentinel surveillance specimens
decreased to 33 from 38 in the previous week
The great majority of detected and subtyped influenza viruses were A(H3N2) and
while the proportion of type B viruses increased as commonly seen in the second
half of an influenza season their numbers remained low
The number of hospitalized laboratory-confirmed influenza cases reported
primarily in people aged 65 years or older continued to decrease
European Center for Disease Prevention and ControlWHO
Increase in human infections with avian influenza
A(H7N9) Virus during the fifth epidemic mdash China
October 2016ndashFebruary 2017
10 March - During March 2013ndashFebruary 24 2017 annual epidemics of avian influenza
A(H7N9) in China resulted in 1258 avian influenza A(H7N9) virus infections in humans being
reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) by the National Health and Family
Planning Commission of China and other regional sources During the first four epidemics
88 of patients developed pneumonia 68 were admitted to an intensive care unit and
41 died Candidate vaccine viruses (CVVs) were developed and vaccine was manufactured
based on representative viruses detected after the emergence of A(H7N9) virus in humans
in 2013 During the ongoing fifth epidemic (beginning October 1 2016) 460 human
infections with A(H7N9) virus have been reported hellip Although the clinical characteristics
and risk factors for human infections do not appear to have changed the reported human
infections during the fifth epidemic represent a significant increase compared with the first
four epidemics Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Update
NHRC Febrile Respiratory Illness Surveillance Update
For the week ending 2 January 2016
10
Influenza Fourteen cases of NHRC laboratory-confirmed influenza (AH3) among
US military basic trainees
FRI surveillance at all eight US military basic training centers indicated FRI rates
were elevated at Fort Jackson NRTC Great Lakes MCRD Parris Island Lackland AFB
and CGTC Cape May Naval Health Research Center
USAFSAM amp DHA DoD Global Laboratory-Based
Influenza Surveillance Program
During 12 - 25 February 2017 (Surveillance Weeks 7 amp 8) a total of 570 specimens were
collected from 49 locations Results were finalized for 455 specimens from 44 locations
During Week 7 one influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 144 influenza A(H3N2) and 28 influenza B
viruses were identified During Week 8 three influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 91 influenza
A(H3N2) one influenza A(H3N2) amp Influenza B and 14 influenza B viruses were identified
Approximately 50 of specimens tested positive for influenza during Week 7
Approximately 50 of specimens tested positive for influenza during Week 8 The influenza
percent positive for the season is approximately 35
US Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine amp Defense Health Agency
USDA has $80 million-$90 million to fight bird flu
9 March - The US Department of Agriculture has $80 million to $90 million left over from
the last major outbreak of bird flu to fight any new discoveries of the virus the
departments chief veterinary officer said on Thursday USDA must appeal to Congress if
more money is needed to fight the disease which was recently found in two US states and
also has been confirmed across Asia and in Europe Any potential request for emergency
funding is complicated as US President Donald Trumps choice for the position has not yet
been confirmed by the Senate Reuters
WHO Influenza Update
6 March - Influenza activity in the temperate zone of the northern hemisphere continued to
be elevated in some countries Influenza activity in many countries especially in East Asia
and Europe appeared to have already peaked Worldwide influenza A(H3N2) virus was
predominant The majority of influenza viruses characterized so far were similar antigenically
to the reference viruses contained in vaccines for use in the 2016-2017 northern hemisphere
influenza season Nearly all tested viruses collected recently for antiviral sensitivity were
susceptible to the neuraminidase inhibitor antiviral medications WHO
top of page
11
VETERINARYFOOD SAFETY
2 dead in multi-state Listeria outbreak traced to Vulto
cheese
9 March - Two people are dead and four others are confirmed sick with a strain of Listeria
monocytogenes found in cheese made from unpasteurized raw milk Vulto Creamery is
recalling the cheese from retailers and distributors nationwide Itrsquos been more than five
months since the first outbreak victim became sick on Sept 1 2016 but federal officials said
Jos Vulto owner of the Walton NY cheese operation initiated the recall as soon as he heard
about the ldquocannot rule outrdquo test results on his cheese He began pulling cheese back from
his customers March 3 and posted the public recall Tuesday Since then the Food and Drug
Administration has confirmed Listeria monocytogenes in Vultorsquos finished product hellip The
most recent illness began on Jan 22 Food Safety News
fMRI predicts if Fido is fit for service
7 March - Using functional MRI to identify certain areas of brain activity helped improved
predictions about which dogs were not suitable for service dog training a small study
found hellip [R]esearchers said they used fMRI on 43 service dogs prior to training -- 33 of
which completed training and were matched with a person and 10 of which were released
for behavioral reasons Dogs with a higher level of response in the amygdala an area of the
brain linked with excitability were more likely to fail the service training program This was a
modest improvement over current prediction methods that involve evaluating the dogs
temperament MedPage Today
Four more states report soy nut butter E coli infections
8 March - Four more people from four additional states became infected with Shiga toxin-
producing E coli O157H7 bacteria after consuming a certain brand of soy nut butter and
granola according to the CDC Missouri Virginia Washington and Wisconsin have all
reported individuals becoming ill after consuming IM Healthy Brand SoyNut Butter --
bringing the total affected to 16 Two additional people have been hospitalized with
hemolytic uremic syndrome All five individuals with this type of kidney failure were
children a CDC investigation found MedPage Today
The military kills 8500 pigs and goats every year for
medical training A new bill would end that
4 March - A bipartisan group of lawmakers is trying to stop the Defense Department from
killing about 8500 goats and pigs a year in medical training exercises designed to prepare
troops for combat Rep Hank Johnson D-Ga and Rep Tom Marino R-Pa introduced a bill
on Tuesday that would require the military to use only human-based methods to train
service members to treat injuries sustained on the battlefield and end the use of live tissue
12
training in which troops stab or shoot pigs and goats to simulate the treatment of combat
trauma by Oct 1 2020 Johnson told the Washington Examiner he intends to raise the issue
during debate on the fiscal 2018 National Defense Authorization Act and hopes to use the
must-pass bill as a vehicle to ban live-tissue training He said simulators offer better combat
training than live animals are more humane and are ultimately more cost-effective
Washington Examiner
top of page
WELLNESS
Arthritis afflicts about 1 in 4 adults in the US CDC
report finds
7 March - About one in four adults in the United States suffers from arthritis according to a
new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Vital Signs report published Tuesday Of
the 54 million people in the United States who have this debilitating condition not all are
elderly About 60 percent of those with arthritis were between the ages of 18 and 64 that is
working age Activity limitations from arthritis increased by 20 percent since 2002 the
report found Simple everyday tasks such as walking or lifting bags are challenging for 24
million people affected by the condition in the United States Even though movement is
painful and difficult for people with arthritis the report suggests that increased physical
activity can mitigate arthritis symptoms by 40 percent Despite the proven health benefits of
physical activity for arthritis symptoms about 1 in 3 adults with arthritis in the United States
self-reports being physically inactive The Washington Post
Is dieting passeacute Study finds fewer overweight people try
to lose weight
8 March - An increasing number of overweight Americans have lost the motivation to diet
according to a new study hellip Back in 1990 when researchers asked overweight Americans if
they were trying to lose weight 56 percent said yes But this has changed According to the
latest data just 49 percent say theyre trying This may not seem like a big decline But given
that about 2 out of every 3 Americans are either overweight or obese a decline of 7 percent
means millions more people may have given up on dieting The trend is particularly evident
among black women says study author Jian Zhang an epidemiologist at Georgia Southern
University mdash though the trend is seen across the population hellip Its a big concern study
author Jian Zhang told us Obesity increases the risk of a whole range of diseases and
theres a concern that people who are overweight and obese may be ignoring or
overlooking the risks Not everyone is convinced that the dip in dieting is bad Theres a
possible good news story in this says Janet Tomiyama a psychologist at UCLA who studies
eating behavior and weight stigma hellip Tomiyama says there are signs that the strong anti-fat
13
bias in our culture may be shifting NPR
Poor diet tied to nearly half of US deaths from heart
disease stroke diabetes
7 March - Ensuring that diets include the right amount of certain foods may help the US
cut deaths from heart disease stroke and type 2 diabetes by almost half suggests a new
study About 45 percent of deaths from those causes in 2012 could be blamed on people
eating too much or too little of 10 types of foods researchers found hellip [Renata] Micha and
colleagues identified 10 dietary components closely tied to heart disease stroke and type 2
diabetes sodium fruits vegetables whole grains nuts and seeds unprocessed red meats
processed meats polyunsaturated fats like soybean or corn oils seafood omega-3 fats and
sugar-sweetened beverages Based on participants food diaries the researchers estimated
that 318656 of the 702308 deaths from heart disease stroke or type 2 diabetes were tied
to people getting too much or too little of those 10 foods or dietary factors Reuters
Significant differences among occupational groups found
in short sleep duration
7 March - According to a new study published in the CDCrsquos Morbidity and Mortality Weekly
Report there are big differences in the amount of sleep people get depending on their
occupation ldquoWe found that overall prevalence of short sleep duration was 365 percent
among the working adults who responded to the survey ndash but sleep duration varied widely
by occupationrdquo said study author Taylor Shockey MPH of CDCrsquos National Institute for
Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) ldquoWorkers in occupations where alternative
shiftwork is common such as production health care and some transportation jobs were
more likely to have a higher adjusted prevalence of short sleep duration Workers in other
occupation groups such as teachers farmers or pilots were the most likely to report
getting enough sleeprdquo Among the 22 major occupational groups that were researched the
prevalence of short sleep duration ranged from 429 percent for production workers to 313
percent among workers in the farming fishing and forestry occupation group as well as the
education training and library occupation group Other groups that were found to have a
high percentage of short sleep durations include health care support health care
practitioners and technical food preparation and serving-related and protective service
Occupational Health amp Safety
The grateful life may be a longer one
7 March - Can a positive attitude save your life Therersquos not conclusive evidence but hints
are tantalizing enough that researchers hellip are trying to find out ldquoA lot of the long-term
research says if yoursquore an optimist yoursquore more likely to have better healthrdquo says Jeff
Huffman ldquoLetrsquos say yoursquore not an optimist mdash can we turn you into one Can we promote
that and teach that in a durable way [And] will it really work [to improve health] Itrsquos a big
and open questionrdquo The Cardiac Psychiatry Research Program combines exercises designed
to promote positive psychology in cardiac and diabetes patients with techniques known to
14
change behavior such as goal-setting to encourage patients to adhere to medication
regimens improve their diets and become more active The best chance for a positive
outlook to affect health is by promoting exercise Huffman says Harvard Gazette
Warm-ups cool-downs what works what doesnrsquot
8 March - hellip [S]cientists hellip decided to systematically
examine the effects of some of the worldrsquos best-known
warm-up programs the FIFA 11 and its recent update the
FIFA 11+ hellip [T]he original FIFA 11 warm-up is light and
quick lasting about 10 minutes and involving various
kinds of jumping shuffling and balancing exercises The
updated FIFA 11+ is more intense requiring repeated sprints and exercises such as squats
leg lifts and vertical leaps hellip [T]he new study systematically pooled data from the best
earlier studies Those boys girls men and women who regularly completed the FIFA 11+
warm-up before training or games were about 40 percent less likely to sustain knee ankle
hamstring and hip or groin injuries during the season than athletes who warmed up in
other ways Interestingly the easier FIFA 11 warm-up did not substantially reduce the
incidence of subsequent injuries The New York Times
top of page
USAFRICOM
Somalia says 110 dead in last 48 hours due to drought
4 March - Some 110 people have died in southern Somalia in the last two days from famine
and diarrhea resulting from a drought the prime minister said on Saturday as the area
braces itself for widespread shortages of food In February United Nations childrens agency
UNICEF said the drought in Somalia could lead to up to 270000 children suffering from
severe acute malnutrition this year It is a difficult situation for the pastoralists and their
livestock Some people have been hit by famine and diarrhea at the same time In the last
48 hours 110 people died due to famine and diarrhea in Bay region Prime Minister Hassan
Ali Khaires office said in a statement Reuters
South Sudan South Sudan will now charge $10000 for
an aid worker permit Why
7 March - Late last month famine was declared in two counties of the civil-war torn East
African country of South Sudan With 100000 people at risk for dying of starvation in that
area alone and millions more on the brink of crisis-level food shortages throughout the
country South Sudanese President Salva Kiir promised unimpeded access to humanitarian
aid organizations working there A few days later the South Sudanese government hiked the
15
fee for work permits for foreign aid workers from $100 to $10000 Its unclear whether the
fee would apply only to newcomers or to those already there as well Whatever the case the
amount is absolutely unheard of globally said Julien Schopp director for Humanitarian
Practice at InterAction an alliance of 180 nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) working
around the world No organization can afford this and if NGOs go to their institutional
donors to request that extra money Im pretty sure that [the donors] will be reluctant to pay
this because they will see this to some extent as ransom NPR
top of page
USCENTCOM
Afghanistan Afghan fighting pressures hospitals clinics
- childrens rights group
6 March - Hospitals and clinics in Afghanistan have increasingly been targeted by armed
groups over the past two years weakening an already degraded health system a childrens
rights group said in a report issued on Monday Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict
said attacks had further restricted or even blocked medical care in a country where almost a
third of the population of more than 30 million lacks access to basic health services Armed
groups had forced temporary or permanent closure of medical facilities damaged or
destroyed medical facilities looted medical supplies stolen ambulances threatened
intimidated extorted or detained medical personnel and occupied medical facilities for
military purposes it said The report hellip said there were 119 conflict-related incidents
targeting medical facilities and personnel last year quoting a figure from the United
Nations Mission in Afghanistan Reuters
Afghanistan ISIS militants disguised as doctors kill 38 in
Kabul hospital attack
8 March - Islamic State has claimed responsibility for an attack on a Kabul military hospital
by gunmen disguised as doctors who breached the facility and battled security forces for
hours More than 30 people died and dozens more were injured the Afghan defence
ministry said The attack began with a suicide bombing at the rear of the hospital complex
in the Afghan capital Officials said at least three gunmen dressed as medical staff then
entered the 400-bed Sardar Mohammad Daud Khan facility and took up positions on the
upper floors A second explosion was heard as Afghan special forces engaged the gunmen
and ldquoheavy fightingrdquo ensued a defence ministry spokesman said The Guardian
Iraq ISIS allegedly used chemical weapons in Mosul
battle injuring civilians
6 March - ISIS militants used chemical weapons during the battle for the city of Mosul last
16
week injuring a number of civilians according to a senior Iraqi security official The officials
assessment comes after the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) issued a
statement last week saying that their workers had treated patients from Mosul who were
suffering from symptoms consistent with exposure to a toxic chemical agent Over a
number of days last week the ICRC said it treated 15 such patients hellip It was certainly [the
result of] a toxic chemical agent because their symptoms were absolutely clear People had
blisters they vomited They had irritation in the eyes and coughed she added The World
Health Organization said in a statement that hellip the use of chemical weapons is a war
crime Both the WHO and ICRC said that the patients symptoms were consistent with
exposure to a blistering agent NBC News
Syria Syrian children suffer staggering levels of trauma
and distress ndash report
6 March - A Save the Children study says Syriarsquos mental
health crisis has reached a tipping point and that severe
distress among children could cause life-long damage
The report says 58 million of children in Syria are in need
of aid Children in Syria are suffering from ldquotoxic stressrdquo a
severe form of psychological trauma that can cause life-
long damage according to a study that charts a rise in self-harm and suicide attempts
among children as young as 12 hellip More than 70 of children interviewed experienced
common symptoms of ldquotoxic stressrdquo or post-traumatic stress disorder such as bedwetting
the study found Loss of speech aggression and substance abuse are also commonplace
About 48 of adults reported seeing children who have lost the ability to speak or who
have developed speech impediments since the war began hellip The majority of children
interviewed showed signs of ldquosevere emotional stressrdquo and 78 of them felt grief and
extreme sadness some of the time The Guardian
top of page
USEUCOM
EuropeUS Mutual Recognition promises new
framework for pharmaceutical inspections for United
States and European Union
2 March - The United States and the European Union (EU) completed an exchange of letters
to amend the Pharmaceutical Annex to the 1998 US-EU Mutual Recognition Agreement
Under this agreement US and EU regulators will be able to utilize each otherrsquos good
manufacturing practice inspections of pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities The
17
amended agreement represents the culmination of nearly three years of US Food and Drug
Administration and EU cooperation as part of the Mutual Reliance Initiative and will allow
the FDA and EU drug inspectors to rely upon information from drug inspections conducted
within each otherrsquos borders Ultimately this will enable the FDA and EU to avoid the
duplication of drug inspections lower inspection costs and enable regulators to devote
more resources to other parts of the world where there may be greater risk FDA
Israel marijuana Users to face fine rather than criminal
charge
5 March - The Israeli government has taken steps to reduce the penalties for personal
marijuana use It backed plans to issue fines initially and only resort to criminal charges for
repeat offenders Selling buying and producing the drug will remain illegal and the move
must still be ratified by parliament According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime almost
9 of Israelis use cannabis though some experts believe the figure to be higher The move
follows recommendations by a committee set up to study the issue and moves by a
number of US states and European nations to decriminalise use of the drug BBC News
Romania Measles outbreak in Romania - ECDC assesses
the risk of spread to and sustained transmission in
EUEEA countries
7 March - An outbreak of measles is ongoing in Romania From the end of September 2016
to 17 February 2017 the Romanian National Institute of Public Health received reports of
3071 cases of measles Cases continue to be reported despite ongoing response measures
at national level through reinforced vaccination activities hellip Considering the size and
geographical spread of the ongoing measles outbreak in Romania the likelihood of
exportation of measles cases is high Between 1 February 2016 and 31 January 2017 ECDC
received reports of 4484 cases of measles from 30 EUEEA countries hellip Given that the
vaccination coverage target [of 95] is still to be reached in a number of EUEEA countries
the risk of spread and sustained transmission from areas where measles transmission is
occurring in areas with susceptible populations is high Eurosurveillance
Romania Romanias healthcare exodus
9 March - hellip Romania has bled out tens of thousands of doctors nurses dentists and
pharmacists since joining the European Union a decade ago lured abroad by what the
country lacks significantly higher pay modern infrastructure and functional healthcare
systems France Germany and Britain are among the most popular destinations The
consequences are dire Romania is one of the EU states with the fewest doctors Nearly a
third of hospital positions are vacant and the health ministry estimates one in four
Romanians has insufficient access to essential healthcare hellip This despite the fact that
Romania is a leading EU state when it comes to the number of medical graduates Reuters
18
Switzerland Measles outbreaks continue to plague
Switzerland
28 February - Switzerland is on track to see the most cases of measles in years in 2017
Vaccinations are on the rise but the government recently admitted its eradication strategy
has failed In 1987 the Federal Health Office announced a vaccination strategy that it hoped
would eradicate measles by the year 2000 Seventeen years after that deadline the
vaccination rate lies at 87 below the 95 that the World Health Organization deems a
target for eradication Daniel Koch head of the infectious disease unit at the Federal Health
Office told swissinfoch that ldquothe number of people who are vaccinated has been
consistently rising but wersquore not yet where we want to berdquo Over the past several decades
Switzerland has had significant outbreaks roughly every four years In a long-term outbreak
between 2006 and 2009 Switzerland reached the highest measles rate in Europe with 4371
registered cases SWI
United Kingdom Nestleacute to remove 10 of sugar from all
snacks in UK and Ireland by 2018
7 March - Nestleacute one of the worldrsquos biggest chocolate manufacturers will take 10 of the
sugar out of its confectionery in the UK and Ireland by 2018 The corporation says the cut is
from the levels existing in its sugary products in 2015 and will amount to about 7500
tonnes The announcement follows public concern over the quantity of sugar in the
countryrsquos diet and its contribution to rising obesity levels The threat of a sugar levy on soft
drinks has encouraged the reformulation of Irn Bru and Lucozade which will escape the tax
although there have been no such moves by PepsiCo or Coca-Cola hellip Nestleacute says it will not
use artificial sweeteners in its confectionery Instead it plans to replace sugar with higher
quantities of existing ingredients or other non-artificial ingredients and ensuring products
are below a certain amount of calories The Guardian
top of page
USNORTHCOM
Canada Dallaire testifies mefloquine drug impaired
thought process in Rwanda
7 March - The Canadian army officer who led the UN peacekeeping mission during the
Rwandan genocide says the antimalarial drug mefloquine affected his thought processes
during his deployment but the military refused to let him stop taking it Romeacuteo Dallaire the
human rights activist retired lieutenant-general and former senator who speaks openly
about his struggles with post-traumatic stress syndrome told the Commons veterans affairs
19
committee this week that mefloquine interferes with the ability to make quick decisions in
military theatres hellip Soldiers who were given mefloquine in Somalia in the early 1990s as
part of a poorly administered ndash and possibly illegal ndash clinical trial run by the Department of
National Defence have told the veterans affairs committee that the medication caused
lasting brain damage hellip Health Canada began in December to review available information
about any causal link between the use of mefloquine and persistent neurological or
psychiatric adverse events their frequency and severity and whether any particular segment
of the population is at increased risk The Globe and Mail
US CDC wants better data to manage global
communicable diseases
6 March - To better understand how diseases travel with international airline passengers
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is seeking advanced global aviation
intelligence data and analytical tools to enhance the agencyrsquos ability to analyze global
aviation patterns In a request for proposals posted Feb 16 the CDC said it needs more
advanced data and tools because air travel has become an increasingly common conduit for
the spread of disease ldquoThe need is immediate and ongoing for a single secure and web-
based global aviation database and analytical application to support analysis of aviation
global capacity and domestic and international passenger traffic (historical and future)rdquo the
RFP said GCN
US EPA chief unconvinced on CO2 link to global
warming
9 March - The new head of the Environmental Protection Agency said on Thursday he is not
convinced that carbon dioxide from human activity is the main driver of climate change and
said he wants Congress to weigh in on whether CO2 is a harmful pollutant that should be
regulated In an interview with CNBC EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt said the Trump
administration will make an announcement on fuel efficiency standards for cars very soon
stressing that he and President Donald Trump believe current standards were rushed
through Pruitt 48 is a climate change denier who sued the agency he now leads more than
a dozen times as Oklahomas attorney general He said he was not convinced that carbon
dioxide pollution from burning fossil fuels like oil gas and coal is the main cause of climate
change a conclusion widely embraced by scientists Reuters
US EPA environmental justice leader resigns amid
White House plans to dismantle program
9 March - A key environmental justice leader at the Environmental Protection Agency has
resigned saying that a recent budget proposal to defund such work would harm the people
who most rely on the EPA Mustafa Ali a senior advisor and assistant associate
administrator for environmental justice has served more than two decades at the agency
working to ease the burden of air and water pollution in hundreds of poor minority
20
communities nationwide He helped found the EPArsquos environmental justice office during the
early 1990s and became a key adviser to agency administrators under Republican and
Democratic presidents hellip [T]he White House is seeking to close the agencyrsquos Office of
Environmental Justice hellip [T]he new administration hellip ldquoassumes any future EJ specific policy
work can be transferred to the Office of Policyrdquo The Washington Post
US FDA has encouraged development but needs to
clarify the role of draft guidance and develop qualified
infectious disease product guidance
January 2017 - Antibiotics have long played a key role in treating infections but this role is
threatened by growing resistance to existing antibiotics and the decline in the development
of new drugs hellip The [Generating Antibiotic Incentives Now (GAIN)] provisions created the
[qualified infectious disease products (QIDP)] designation and its associated incentives to
encourage the development of new drugs to treat serious or life-threatening infections
While it is too soon to tell if GAIN has stimulated the development of new drugs GAO was
asked to provide information on FDArsquos efforts to implement GAIN hellip GAO recommends that
FDA clarify the role of draft guidance for and develop written guidance on the QIDP
designation to help drug sponsors better understand the designation and its associated
incentives HHS said it would consider GAOrsquos first recommendation and agreed with the
second GAO believes the first recommendation should also be adopted GAO
US Forbidding forecast for Lyme disease in the
northeast
6 March - hellip [Rick] Keesing and [Felicia] Ostfeld who have
studied Lyme for more than 20 years have come up with an
early warning system for the disease They can predict how
many cases there will be a year in advance by looking at one
key measurement Count the mice the year before The
number of critters scampering around the forest in the
summer correlates to the Lyme cases the following summer theyve reported The
explanation is simple Mice are highly efficient transmitters of Lyme They infect up to 95
percent of ticks that feed on them Mice are responsible for infecting the majority of ticks
carrying Lyme in the Northeast And ticks love mice An individual mouse might have 50
60 even 100 ticks covering its ears and face Ostfeld says So that mouse plague last year
means there is going to be a Lyme plague this year NPR
US Obamacare repeal guts crucial public health funds
8 March - The latest Republican health-care bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act would
eliminate funds for fundamental public health programs including for the prevention of
bioterrorism and disease outbreaks as well as money to provide immunizations and heart-
disease screenings As part of the ACA or Obamacare the Prevention and Public Health
21
Fund provides almost $1 billion annually to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Since 2010 the fund has been an increasingly important source of money for core CDC
programs today accounting for about 12 percent of the CDCrsquos total budget The GOP bill
would eliminate the Prevention and Public Health Fund starting in October of next year No
clear replacement has been proposed The Washington Post
US Patients demand the right to try experimental
drugs but costs can be steep 3 March - In the last three years 33 US states have passed laws aimed at helping dying
people get easier access to experimental treatments that are still in the early stages of
human testing Supporters say these patients are just looking for the right to try these
treatments Such laws sound compassionate but medical ethicists warn they pose
worrisome risks to the health and finances of vulnerable patients hellip Dr R Adams Dudley
director of UCSFs Center for Healthcare Value [says] If we take the FDA out of it how do
we protect people from physicians or drug companies that will want to sell them things and
will want to prey on their desperation hellip Patients could spend huge amounts of money
trying a drug that hasnt been proved to work he says And the patient may also be giving
up their hopes for a controlled peaceful death at home NPR
US Ten million lives saved by 1962 breakthrough study
says 3 March - Nearly 200 million cases of polio measles mumps rubella varicella adenovirus
rabies and hepatitis Amdashand approximately 450000 deaths from these diseasesmdashwere
prevented in the US alone between 1963 and 2015 by vaccination researchers estimate
In 1963 vaccination against these infections became widespread thanks to the
development of a human cell strain that allowed vaccines to be produced safely Globally
the vaccines developed from this strain and its derivatives prevented an estimated 45
billion cases of disease and saved more than 10 million lives Author S Jay Olshansky
professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of Illinois at Chicago School of
Public Health hellip used previously-published data on cases and deaths for each disease in the
US in 1960 before vaccines were available for these diseases Medical Xpress
US US skin disease burden expected to increase 3 March - More than one-fourth of Americans (27) were seen by a physician for skin
disease in 2013 and they averaged 16 skin diseases each researchers found Skin disease
costs at least $75 billion to treat in a single year and is an especially big problem in the 65-
and-older population which tends to get more skin diseases due to lifelong cumulative sun
exposure and increasing susceptibility to bacterial viral and fungal diseases With the
projected increase in the age group 65 years and older in the US population combined
with the increased costs of currently in-use and newly developed dermatologic treatment
options the economic burden of skin disease will continue to grow the investigators
wrote MedPage Today
top of page
22
USPACOM
India India abortion - police find 19 female foetuses
6 March - Police in the western Indian state of Maharashtra have found 19 aborted female
foetuses near a hospital Senior police officials in Sangli district said the remains were
buried with the intention of disposing them The police told the BBC that they found the
foetuses while they were investigating the death of a woman who had undergone an illegal
abortion Activists say the incident proves yet again that female foeticide is rampant in India
despite awareness campaigns The police said that the woman had died in a botched
abortion and they were looking for the foetus near a local hospital when they made the
grisly discovery It appears to be an abortion racket We have arrested the husband of the
woman and have launched a manhunt for the doctor who has gone missing Dattatray
Shinde superintendent of police told the BBC BBC News
India Missing the signals - Indiarsquos anti-vaccination social
media campaign
7 March - India recently launched a one-month campaign to vaccinate over 35 million
9-month to 15-year old children with a measles-rubella vaccine across five states The
campaign marked the start of a two-year initiative aiming to vaccinate over 400 million
children across India ndash part of a larger global effort to eliminate measles and rubella By the
end of the first month of the campaign it became clear that it was struggling to meet its
goal A different kind of campaign was circulating on WhatsApp and Facebook ndash fuelling a
mix of conspiracy theories safety concerns and questioning around why the vaccine and
the campaign were needed Whatrsquos more the rumours were taking hold in the wealthier
southern states with generally the best education and health indicators in the country
The Vaccine Confidence Project
Myanmar Tuberculosis kills 14 in Myanmarrsquos remote
north
9 March - At least 14 people have died from pulmonary tuberculosis in a remote and
impoverished region in Myanmarrsquos north this year according to officials Thursday The
illness characterized by a persistent cough has hit two villages in Lahe Township of the
mountainous Naga region located around 1300 kilometers (800 miles) from Myanmarrsquos
largest city Yangon Maung Kal a lawmaker representing the area told Anadolu Agency on
Thursday that 14 middle-aged people -- including six women -- have succumbed to the
disease over the past two months hellip According to World Health Organization (WHO)
estimates more than 150000 people suffer from tuberculosis in Myanmar which is
currently included in a list of 30 countries recognized as high-burden with the infectious
respiratory disease Anadolu Agency
top of page
23
USSOUTHCOM
Brazil WHO expands vaccination advice as yellow fever
covers southeast Brazil state
7 March - The entire Brazilian state of Espirito Santo is now considered at risk for yellow
fever transmission the World Health Organization says raising concerns the deadly virus
could spread to the nations biggest cities An ongoing yellow fever outbreak has so far
been limited to rural areas hellip [b]ut there are growing concerns the virus could spread to
urban centers like Rio de Janeiro Sao Paulo Belo Horizonte and Vitoria - areas where tens
of millions live Reuters
Ecuador Leads desperate artisans
Spring 2017 - hellip Lead has been used in ceramic glazes for thousands of years for its
beautiful and strong finishmdashbut more importantlymdashbecause it enables the glaze to melt at
a lower temperature facilitating the use of backyard low-fire kilns In La Victoria to get the
lead for these glazes artisans turned to the lead plates from car batteries manually
removing them and melting them down in their kilns This process aerosolized the lead
enabling it to be inhaled by people and distributed across the environment widely
contaminating soil foods objects and homes hellip [Edgar] Neto tells me that environmental
health inspections should be done in La Victoria every three months but there are no police
to enforce the environmental laws Although no one in La Victoria tells stories of fines levied
for crimes against the environment the social structure within the political and artisan
associations here is strong and much of the lead use among artisans has changed hellip While
excessive exposure and acute lead toxicity may have abated leadrsquos potential for health
problems continuesmdashin the form of chronic exposure Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health
top of page
24
US Military | Global | Influenza | VeterinaryFood Safety | Wellness | Contact Us
USAFRICOM | USCENTCOM | USEUCOM | USNORTHCOM | USPACOM | USSOUTHCOM
The Army Public Health Weekly Update does not analyze the information as to its strategic or tactical impact on the US Army and is not a medical
intelligence product Medical intelligence is available from the National Center for Medical Intelligence
External Links The appearance of external hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the US Army of this Web site or the information products
or services contained therein For other than authorized activities such as military exchanges and MWR sites the US Army does not exercise any
editorial control over the information you may find at these locations Such links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of this product
Although we avoid links to sites that may be blocked all sites may not be accessible from all locations While we verify the links at the time of
publication we cannot guarantee that they will be active in the future
Articles appearing in the Update do not necessarily represent US Army Medical Command opinionsviews policy or guidance and should not be
construed or interpreted as being endorsed by the US Army Medical Command
The Army Public Health Weekly Update is published by the Public Health Information Directorate Army Public Health Center
3
Highlights of the
2013 ndash 2014
Behavioral Health ndash
Risk Assessment
Data Report
Of Soldiers that had
deployed within 5 years of
the PHA
10 screened positive
for symptoms of
depression and 13
screened positive for
symptoms of PTSD
16 of Soldiers
screened positive 90-
180 days post-
deployment for
hazardous drinking
USSOUTHCOM
Brazil WHO expands vaccination advice as yellow fever covers southeast Brazil state
Ecuador Leads desperate artisans
US MILITARY
Army develops life-saving device that warns medics
before patients go into shock or bleed out
4 March - Army researchers have developed a device that can tell when a wounded person
is in danger of going into shock or dying from blood loss The life-saving device fits on a
fingertip and its the first technology that gives early warning that a trauma patient is close
to circulatory shock the researchers say The device called the Compensatory Reserve
Index can save lives including soldiers wounded on the battlefield by showing medics
when a patient is about to go into hemorrhagic shock according to a release from the
Military Health System Hemorrhagic shock is the leading cause of death among trauma
victims Now the CRI has been cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration to be
used in hospital settings and in treatment before a patient gets to the hospital Army Times
Incidence rates of malignant melanoma in relation to
years of military service hellip US Armed Forces 2001ndash
2015
February 2017 - During the 15-year surveillance period there were 2233 incident diagnoses
of malignant melanoma among members of the active component of the US military hellip
Unadjusted incidence rates were highest in the fixed-wing pilot crew group (245 per
10000 p-yrs) lowest in the infantry special operations combat engineer group (077 per
10000 p-yrs) and intermediate among healthcare providers (133 per 10000 p-yrs) and all
others (107 per 10000 p-yrs) During the 15-year period rates of malignant melanoma
diagnoses among US military members overall increased in an exponential fashion in
relation to years of active service However this relationship varied across occupational
groups Most notably after several years of service rates of melanoma diagnoses increased
relatively rapidly among pilots and the crews of fixed-wing aircraft (eg fighters bombers
cargopersonnel transporters) and those in occupations inherently conducted outdoors
(eg infantry special operations combat engineers) In contrast melanoma diagnosis rates
increased relatively slowly among healthcare providers and those in ldquootherrdquo military
occupations Medical Surveillance Monthly Report
VA expands mental health care for discharged veterans
8 March - The Department of Veterans Affairs will offer urgent mental health care beginning
this summer to thousands of former service members with less-than-honorable discharges
part of its expanded initiative to stem stubbornly high rates of suicide VA Secretary David
4
Fact Sheet
Perfluorooctane
Sulfonate (PFOS) amp
Perfluorooctanoic
Acid (PFOA) in
Drinking Water -
Frequently Asked
Questions for
Consumers
Army-owned or operated
drinking water systems are
being sampled for PFOS
and PFOA as part of the
Armyrsquos ongoing effort to
ensure good quality
drinking water
The Army will inform
consumers of sampling
results and the actions
taken to eliminate or
reduce PFOS and PFOA in
water systems if
concentrations are
detected above the LHA
levels
Shulkin said Wednesday the additional coverage was needed to help former service
members who are more likely to have mental health distress He said the department
couldnt wait for legislation and needed to act now noting that the vast majority of veterans
who took their lives had not been connected to VA care hellip By June or July the VA said it will
specifically provide the mental health care to those with other than honorable discharges
from the military typically for misconduct such as violence or use of illegal drugs Currently
such discharges can prevent veterans from receiving federal benefits hellip The VA is also
seeking to hire 1000 more mental health providers and establish strong hubs to reach
veterans with mental health assistance by phone in rural parts of the country Fox News
top of page
GLOBAL
Can salted doorknobs prevent superbug infections
3 March - hellip [One] option [to combat superbugs like Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus
aureus] is to coat those frequently fondled objects most likely to carry the bugsmdash
doorknobs bed rails toilet handlesmdashwith a special anti-microbial surface like copper hellip
Brayden Whitlock a graduate student at the University of Alberta [designed] a pilot study
that put salt and copper head to head Coupon-sized strips of pure compressed sodium
chloride were covered in an MRSA culture alongside similar strips of antimicrobial copper
and stainless steel Whitlock found that salt killed off the bug 20 to 30 times faster than the
copper did reducing MRSA levels by 85 percent after 20 seconds and by 94 percent after a
minute hellip [Other] researchers hellip have found another potential medical use for salt this time
as a coating on surgical masks These masks are designed to trap viruses that wearers are
carrying like influenza but need to be thrown away after a single use hellip Hyo-Jick Choi hellip
found that soaking the inner membrane of a common surgical mask in a solution of sodium
chloride made the mask actually able to destroy the flu virus outright which could allow for
multiple uses The Atlantic
Health of ticks may be key to health of humans
7 March - Doctors and researchers say preventing Lyme
and other diseases would be preferable to trying to
treat the conditions [Joao] Pedra has some ideas about
how scientific discoveries from his lab may eventually
contribute to prevention efforts One avenue could be a
vaccine that protects people by producing an antibody
in humans that is transferred to feasting ticks so they dont feed well and fall off before they
can pass on a germ Another path could involve spraying much like people do for
mosquitoes The spray would contain a compound that triggers over-activity in the ticks
immune system preventing them from harboring threatening microbes hellip There will be
5
CDC Workshops on
Emerging Infectious
Disease
Preparedness
Beginning this month the
Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention and
National Ebola Training amp
Education Center will offer
two free training
workshops on emerging
infectious disease
preparedness for clinicians
health care workers and
public health officials
Details and Registration
challenges however for other researchers in translating the science into specific preventive
measures he said One challenge [is] the ticks relatively long life cycle of two to three years
which makes manipulating and studying ticks more laborious compared with mosquitoes
that live less than two months The Baltimore Sun
New technique uses gold nanoparticles to rapidly detect
Ebola
7 March - Researchers from the University at Albany have developed a test that can detect
the presence of Ebola virus from a urine sample much faster and more cost-effectively than
current methods The technique hellip relies on biomarkers and gold nanoparticles which if
triggered turn the sample red to indicate infection or purple to indicate no infection
Certain biomarkers for Ebola can be found in urine and the gold nanoparticles are
functionalized with DNA receptors that can bind to these Ebola biomarkers and trigger a
chain reaction hellip It is a fairly simple method that allows for visual detection of Ebola in
minutes hellip Overall the team tested 25 urine samples containing four biomarkers associated
with Ebola The method produced accurate results in 24 samples including each of the four
subtypes of Ebola hellip Overall the process takes about four to five hours which compared to
current standard Ebola detection methods that can take several days for results is a vast
improvement Bioscience Technology
NIH-funded study helps explain how zebrafish recover
from blinding injuries
9 March - Researchers hellip have discovered that in zebrafish decreased levels of the
neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) cue the retina the light-sensing tissue
in the back of the eye to produce stem cells The finding sheds light on how the zebrafish
regenerates its retina after injury and informs efforts to restore vision in people who are
blind hellip This work opens up new ideas for therapies for blinding diseases and has
implications for the broader field of regenerative medicine said Tom Greenwell PhD NIH
Pipe-climbing bacteria might spread infection from
hospital sinks
1 March - Bacteria can thrive in p-traps those ldquoU
bendsrdquo below sink drains that collect everything from
errant earrings to lost toothpaste tube caps Thatrsquos a big
problem especially in hospitals where sinks have been
linked to a slew of bacterial outbreaks To determine
exactly how the pathogens spread scientists built a row
of five sinks in a setup similar to that in many hospitals with all of them draining into the
same pipe hellip [S]cientists seeded p-traps with harmless fluorescent bacteria to see where
the microbes traveled hellip [T]he bacteria flourished shimmying up the pipe at a rate of about
25 centimeters per day to contaminate sink drain covers There faucet water splattered the
6
Classified Version of
the Weekly Update
An Army Public Health
Weekly Update is available
with articles classified up to
the SECRET level from the
USAPHC SIPRNet site
httpphcarmysmilmil
Look under Hot Topics amp
Current Issues
To access this version you
will need a SECRET
clearance and a SIPRNet
account
Links
A-Z Index
About APHC
Army Public Health
Weekly Update Archives
Medical Surveillance
Monthly Report
Medical Threat Briefings
(AKO)
Request APHC Services
APHC Resource Materials
APHC Homepage
APHC Training
Contact APHC
bacteria around the sink bowl and countertop Science
Study Half of the studies you read about in the news are
wrong
3 March - hellip A single study is rarely the final answer And yet for science reporters new
studies are irresistible mdash a bold new finding makes a great headline hellip The problem isnrsquot
necessarily that these studies are poorly designed (although some of them may be) The
problem is that each headline gives an incomplete glimpse of how science works One lab
produces a result Another lab mdash ideally mdash tries to replicate that result Rinse and repeat
Eventually someone needs to do a meta-review of the totality of the evidence on the
question to reach a conclusion That meta-review rather than any one study in isolation is
likely to get closer to the true answer Yet as researchers in PLOS One recently found
journalists typically only cover those initial papers mdash and skip over writing about the
clarifying meta-reviews that come later on VOX
Surgery or drugs Doctorsrsquo pay may influence choice
8 March - Sometimes doctors choose to do surgery not because it is absolutely preferable
to other treatments but because they get reimbursed for it a new study suggests
Researchers looked at patients with a narrowed artery in the neck a condition called carotid
artery stenosis that can be treated with surgery or managed with medicine and lifestyle
changes The choice is often a judgment call Some were treated in a fee-for-service system
which pays doctors for every procedure they do Others were treated by doctors on salary at
a military hospital After adjusting for health behavioral and socioeconomic variables they
found that over all patients in the fee-for-service system were 63 percent more likely to
have surgery than those in the salary system The New York Times
The cost of a polluted environment 17 million child
deaths a year says WHO
6 March - More than 1 in 4 deaths of children under 5 years of age are attributable to
unhealthy environments Every year environmental risks ndash such as indoor and outdoor air
pollution second-hand smoke unsafe water lack of sanitation and inadequate hygiene ndash
take the lives of 17 million children under 5 years say two new WHO reports The first
report Inheriting a Sustainable World Atlas on Childrenrsquos Health and the Environment
reveals that a large portion of the most common causes of death among children aged 1
month to 5 years ndash diarrhoea malaria and pneumonia ndash are preventable by interventions
known to reduce environmental risks such as access to safe water and clean cooking fuels
hellip Harmful exposures can start in the motherrsquos womb and increase the risk of premature
birth Additionally when infants and pre-schoolers are exposed to indoor and outdoor air
pollution and second-hand smoke they have an increased risk of pneumonia in childhood
and a lifelong increased risk of chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma WHO
7
VA study highlights benefits of enhanced aspirin in
preventing certain cancers
1 March - Researchers know of aspirinrsquos benefits in preventing certain ailments mdash from
cardiovascular disease to most recently colorectal cancer But while the link to those two
conditions was made researchers also questioned how and if this ldquowonder drugrdquo could
work to ward off other types of cancers hellip [N]ew studies verify their theory of cancer-
prevention benefits based on aspirinrsquos effects on plateletsmdashblood cells that form clots to
stop bleeding hellip ldquoAlong with clotting platelets also play a role in forming new blood
vesselsrdquo Vijayan said ldquoThat action is normally beneficial such as when a new clot forms
after a wound and new vessels are needed to redirect blood flow But the same action can
help tumors grow Itrsquos this process that aspirin can interruptrdquo Aerotech News
Yellow fever mdash once again on the radar screen in the
Americas
8 March - hellip Over the past several weeks a fifth arbovirus yellow fever virus has broken out
in Brazil with the majority of the infections occurring in rural areas of the country These are
referred to as sylvatic or jungle cases since the typical transmission cycle occurs between
forest mosquitoes and forest-dwelling nonhuman primates with humans serving only as
incidental hosts In this ongoing outbreak health authorities have reported 234 confirmed
infections and 80 confirmed deaths as of February 2017 The high number of cases is out
of proportion to the number reported in a typical year in these areas Although there is
currently no evidence that human-to-human transmission through Aedes aegypti
mosquitoes (urban transmission) has occurred the outbreak is affecting areas in close
proximity to major urban centers where yellow fever vaccine is not routinely administered
This proximity raises concern that for the first time in decades urban transmission of yellow
fever will occur in Brazil Although it is highly unlikely that we will see yellow fever
outbreaks in the continental United States where mosquito density is low and risk of
exposure is limited it is possible that travel-related cases of yellow fever could occur with
brief periods of local transmission in warmer regions such as the Gulf Coast states where
A aegypti mosquitoes are prevalent The New England Journal of Medicine
ZIKA VIRUS
Blood donor screening finds 13 Zika rate in Puerto Rico
last year
7 March - In a study that expands on an earlier analysis screening of blood donations in
Puerto Rico last spring and summer found a 13 incidence of Zika virus hellip Assuming a 99-
day duration of viremia (virus in the blood) the investigators extrapolated that 469321
people on the island were infected during that period for an estimated cumulative
8
incidence of 129 (range 110 to 154) They further estimated that 69675 women of
reproductive age were infected in that time span or 97 of the total population of such
women
CIDRAP News Scan (first item)
Zika case counts in the US
Data reported to ArboNET for January 1 2015 ndash March 8 2017 CDC
US States
5109 Zika virus disease cases reported
4813 cases in travelers returning from affected
areas
221 cases acquired through presumed local
mosquito-borne transmission in Florida
(N=215) and Texas (N=6)
75 cases acquired through other routes
including sexual transmission (N=45)
congenital infection (N=28) laboratory
transmission (N=1) and person-to-person
through an unknown route (N=1)
US Territories
38099 Zika virus disease cases reported
147 cases in travelers returning from affected
areas
37952 cases acquired through presumed local
mosquito-borne transmission
0 cases acquired through other routes
Sexually transmitted cases are not reported for
US territories because with local transmission of
Zika virus it is not possible to determine
whether infection occurred due to mosquito-
borne or sexual transmission
top of page
INFLUENZA
APHC US Army Influenza Activity Report
For the week ending 25 February 2017 (Week 8)
Overall influenza activity and positive influenza A samples decreased in Army and civilian
populations
ILI Activity Army ILI (influenza-like illness) outpatient visits in week 8 were 13
higher than the same week last year
Influenza cases Seven hospitalized influenza-associated cases were reported to
APHC through DRSi in week 7 and all were non-AD beneficiaries
Viral specimens During week 8 980 of 2894 (34) lab specimens tested positive for
respiratory pathogens Of 697 influenza A-positive specimens RHC-A reported 402
(577) followed by RHC-C (254 364) RHC-P (25 36) RHC-E (15 22) and
CENTCOM (1 01) APHC
CDC Flu View - Weekly US Influenza Surveillance
Report
During week 8 (February 19-25 2017) influenza activity remained elevated in the United
9
States
Viral Surveillance The most frequently identified influenza virus subtype reported
by public health laboratories during week 8 was influenza A (H3) The percentage of
respiratory specimens testing positive for influenza in clinical laboratories remained
elevated
Pneumonia and Influenza Mortality The proportion of deaths attributed to
pneumonia and influenza (PampI) was above the system-specific epidemic threshold
in the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) Mortality Surveillance System
Influenza-associated Pediatric Deaths Six influenza-associated pediatric deaths
were reported CDC
ECDC Flu News Europe
Week 82017 (20-26 February 2017)
Influenza activity across the region while decreasing remained above levels
observed during the out of season period
The proportion of influenza virus detections among sentinel surveillance specimens
decreased to 33 from 38 in the previous week
The great majority of detected and subtyped influenza viruses were A(H3N2) and
while the proportion of type B viruses increased as commonly seen in the second
half of an influenza season their numbers remained low
The number of hospitalized laboratory-confirmed influenza cases reported
primarily in people aged 65 years or older continued to decrease
European Center for Disease Prevention and ControlWHO
Increase in human infections with avian influenza
A(H7N9) Virus during the fifth epidemic mdash China
October 2016ndashFebruary 2017
10 March - During March 2013ndashFebruary 24 2017 annual epidemics of avian influenza
A(H7N9) in China resulted in 1258 avian influenza A(H7N9) virus infections in humans being
reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) by the National Health and Family
Planning Commission of China and other regional sources During the first four epidemics
88 of patients developed pneumonia 68 were admitted to an intensive care unit and
41 died Candidate vaccine viruses (CVVs) were developed and vaccine was manufactured
based on representative viruses detected after the emergence of A(H7N9) virus in humans
in 2013 During the ongoing fifth epidemic (beginning October 1 2016) 460 human
infections with A(H7N9) virus have been reported hellip Although the clinical characteristics
and risk factors for human infections do not appear to have changed the reported human
infections during the fifth epidemic represent a significant increase compared with the first
four epidemics Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Update
NHRC Febrile Respiratory Illness Surveillance Update
For the week ending 2 January 2016
10
Influenza Fourteen cases of NHRC laboratory-confirmed influenza (AH3) among
US military basic trainees
FRI surveillance at all eight US military basic training centers indicated FRI rates
were elevated at Fort Jackson NRTC Great Lakes MCRD Parris Island Lackland AFB
and CGTC Cape May Naval Health Research Center
USAFSAM amp DHA DoD Global Laboratory-Based
Influenza Surveillance Program
During 12 - 25 February 2017 (Surveillance Weeks 7 amp 8) a total of 570 specimens were
collected from 49 locations Results were finalized for 455 specimens from 44 locations
During Week 7 one influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 144 influenza A(H3N2) and 28 influenza B
viruses were identified During Week 8 three influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 91 influenza
A(H3N2) one influenza A(H3N2) amp Influenza B and 14 influenza B viruses were identified
Approximately 50 of specimens tested positive for influenza during Week 7
Approximately 50 of specimens tested positive for influenza during Week 8 The influenza
percent positive for the season is approximately 35
US Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine amp Defense Health Agency
USDA has $80 million-$90 million to fight bird flu
9 March - The US Department of Agriculture has $80 million to $90 million left over from
the last major outbreak of bird flu to fight any new discoveries of the virus the
departments chief veterinary officer said on Thursday USDA must appeal to Congress if
more money is needed to fight the disease which was recently found in two US states and
also has been confirmed across Asia and in Europe Any potential request for emergency
funding is complicated as US President Donald Trumps choice for the position has not yet
been confirmed by the Senate Reuters
WHO Influenza Update
6 March - Influenza activity in the temperate zone of the northern hemisphere continued to
be elevated in some countries Influenza activity in many countries especially in East Asia
and Europe appeared to have already peaked Worldwide influenza A(H3N2) virus was
predominant The majority of influenza viruses characterized so far were similar antigenically
to the reference viruses contained in vaccines for use in the 2016-2017 northern hemisphere
influenza season Nearly all tested viruses collected recently for antiviral sensitivity were
susceptible to the neuraminidase inhibitor antiviral medications WHO
top of page
11
VETERINARYFOOD SAFETY
2 dead in multi-state Listeria outbreak traced to Vulto
cheese
9 March - Two people are dead and four others are confirmed sick with a strain of Listeria
monocytogenes found in cheese made from unpasteurized raw milk Vulto Creamery is
recalling the cheese from retailers and distributors nationwide Itrsquos been more than five
months since the first outbreak victim became sick on Sept 1 2016 but federal officials said
Jos Vulto owner of the Walton NY cheese operation initiated the recall as soon as he heard
about the ldquocannot rule outrdquo test results on his cheese He began pulling cheese back from
his customers March 3 and posted the public recall Tuesday Since then the Food and Drug
Administration has confirmed Listeria monocytogenes in Vultorsquos finished product hellip The
most recent illness began on Jan 22 Food Safety News
fMRI predicts if Fido is fit for service
7 March - Using functional MRI to identify certain areas of brain activity helped improved
predictions about which dogs were not suitable for service dog training a small study
found hellip [R]esearchers said they used fMRI on 43 service dogs prior to training -- 33 of
which completed training and were matched with a person and 10 of which were released
for behavioral reasons Dogs with a higher level of response in the amygdala an area of the
brain linked with excitability were more likely to fail the service training program This was a
modest improvement over current prediction methods that involve evaluating the dogs
temperament MedPage Today
Four more states report soy nut butter E coli infections
8 March - Four more people from four additional states became infected with Shiga toxin-
producing E coli O157H7 bacteria after consuming a certain brand of soy nut butter and
granola according to the CDC Missouri Virginia Washington and Wisconsin have all
reported individuals becoming ill after consuming IM Healthy Brand SoyNut Butter --
bringing the total affected to 16 Two additional people have been hospitalized with
hemolytic uremic syndrome All five individuals with this type of kidney failure were
children a CDC investigation found MedPage Today
The military kills 8500 pigs and goats every year for
medical training A new bill would end that
4 March - A bipartisan group of lawmakers is trying to stop the Defense Department from
killing about 8500 goats and pigs a year in medical training exercises designed to prepare
troops for combat Rep Hank Johnson D-Ga and Rep Tom Marino R-Pa introduced a bill
on Tuesday that would require the military to use only human-based methods to train
service members to treat injuries sustained on the battlefield and end the use of live tissue
12
training in which troops stab or shoot pigs and goats to simulate the treatment of combat
trauma by Oct 1 2020 Johnson told the Washington Examiner he intends to raise the issue
during debate on the fiscal 2018 National Defense Authorization Act and hopes to use the
must-pass bill as a vehicle to ban live-tissue training He said simulators offer better combat
training than live animals are more humane and are ultimately more cost-effective
Washington Examiner
top of page
WELLNESS
Arthritis afflicts about 1 in 4 adults in the US CDC
report finds
7 March - About one in four adults in the United States suffers from arthritis according to a
new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Vital Signs report published Tuesday Of
the 54 million people in the United States who have this debilitating condition not all are
elderly About 60 percent of those with arthritis were between the ages of 18 and 64 that is
working age Activity limitations from arthritis increased by 20 percent since 2002 the
report found Simple everyday tasks such as walking or lifting bags are challenging for 24
million people affected by the condition in the United States Even though movement is
painful and difficult for people with arthritis the report suggests that increased physical
activity can mitigate arthritis symptoms by 40 percent Despite the proven health benefits of
physical activity for arthritis symptoms about 1 in 3 adults with arthritis in the United States
self-reports being physically inactive The Washington Post
Is dieting passeacute Study finds fewer overweight people try
to lose weight
8 March - An increasing number of overweight Americans have lost the motivation to diet
according to a new study hellip Back in 1990 when researchers asked overweight Americans if
they were trying to lose weight 56 percent said yes But this has changed According to the
latest data just 49 percent say theyre trying This may not seem like a big decline But given
that about 2 out of every 3 Americans are either overweight or obese a decline of 7 percent
means millions more people may have given up on dieting The trend is particularly evident
among black women says study author Jian Zhang an epidemiologist at Georgia Southern
University mdash though the trend is seen across the population hellip Its a big concern study
author Jian Zhang told us Obesity increases the risk of a whole range of diseases and
theres a concern that people who are overweight and obese may be ignoring or
overlooking the risks Not everyone is convinced that the dip in dieting is bad Theres a
possible good news story in this says Janet Tomiyama a psychologist at UCLA who studies
eating behavior and weight stigma hellip Tomiyama says there are signs that the strong anti-fat
13
bias in our culture may be shifting NPR
Poor diet tied to nearly half of US deaths from heart
disease stroke diabetes
7 March - Ensuring that diets include the right amount of certain foods may help the US
cut deaths from heart disease stroke and type 2 diabetes by almost half suggests a new
study About 45 percent of deaths from those causes in 2012 could be blamed on people
eating too much or too little of 10 types of foods researchers found hellip [Renata] Micha and
colleagues identified 10 dietary components closely tied to heart disease stroke and type 2
diabetes sodium fruits vegetables whole grains nuts and seeds unprocessed red meats
processed meats polyunsaturated fats like soybean or corn oils seafood omega-3 fats and
sugar-sweetened beverages Based on participants food diaries the researchers estimated
that 318656 of the 702308 deaths from heart disease stroke or type 2 diabetes were tied
to people getting too much or too little of those 10 foods or dietary factors Reuters
Significant differences among occupational groups found
in short sleep duration
7 March - According to a new study published in the CDCrsquos Morbidity and Mortality Weekly
Report there are big differences in the amount of sleep people get depending on their
occupation ldquoWe found that overall prevalence of short sleep duration was 365 percent
among the working adults who responded to the survey ndash but sleep duration varied widely
by occupationrdquo said study author Taylor Shockey MPH of CDCrsquos National Institute for
Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) ldquoWorkers in occupations where alternative
shiftwork is common such as production health care and some transportation jobs were
more likely to have a higher adjusted prevalence of short sleep duration Workers in other
occupation groups such as teachers farmers or pilots were the most likely to report
getting enough sleeprdquo Among the 22 major occupational groups that were researched the
prevalence of short sleep duration ranged from 429 percent for production workers to 313
percent among workers in the farming fishing and forestry occupation group as well as the
education training and library occupation group Other groups that were found to have a
high percentage of short sleep durations include health care support health care
practitioners and technical food preparation and serving-related and protective service
Occupational Health amp Safety
The grateful life may be a longer one
7 March - Can a positive attitude save your life Therersquos not conclusive evidence but hints
are tantalizing enough that researchers hellip are trying to find out ldquoA lot of the long-term
research says if yoursquore an optimist yoursquore more likely to have better healthrdquo says Jeff
Huffman ldquoLetrsquos say yoursquore not an optimist mdash can we turn you into one Can we promote
that and teach that in a durable way [And] will it really work [to improve health] Itrsquos a big
and open questionrdquo The Cardiac Psychiatry Research Program combines exercises designed
to promote positive psychology in cardiac and diabetes patients with techniques known to
14
change behavior such as goal-setting to encourage patients to adhere to medication
regimens improve their diets and become more active The best chance for a positive
outlook to affect health is by promoting exercise Huffman says Harvard Gazette
Warm-ups cool-downs what works what doesnrsquot
8 March - hellip [S]cientists hellip decided to systematically
examine the effects of some of the worldrsquos best-known
warm-up programs the FIFA 11 and its recent update the
FIFA 11+ hellip [T]he original FIFA 11 warm-up is light and
quick lasting about 10 minutes and involving various
kinds of jumping shuffling and balancing exercises The
updated FIFA 11+ is more intense requiring repeated sprints and exercises such as squats
leg lifts and vertical leaps hellip [T]he new study systematically pooled data from the best
earlier studies Those boys girls men and women who regularly completed the FIFA 11+
warm-up before training or games were about 40 percent less likely to sustain knee ankle
hamstring and hip or groin injuries during the season than athletes who warmed up in
other ways Interestingly the easier FIFA 11 warm-up did not substantially reduce the
incidence of subsequent injuries The New York Times
top of page
USAFRICOM
Somalia says 110 dead in last 48 hours due to drought
4 March - Some 110 people have died in southern Somalia in the last two days from famine
and diarrhea resulting from a drought the prime minister said on Saturday as the area
braces itself for widespread shortages of food In February United Nations childrens agency
UNICEF said the drought in Somalia could lead to up to 270000 children suffering from
severe acute malnutrition this year It is a difficult situation for the pastoralists and their
livestock Some people have been hit by famine and diarrhea at the same time In the last
48 hours 110 people died due to famine and diarrhea in Bay region Prime Minister Hassan
Ali Khaires office said in a statement Reuters
South Sudan South Sudan will now charge $10000 for
an aid worker permit Why
7 March - Late last month famine was declared in two counties of the civil-war torn East
African country of South Sudan With 100000 people at risk for dying of starvation in that
area alone and millions more on the brink of crisis-level food shortages throughout the
country South Sudanese President Salva Kiir promised unimpeded access to humanitarian
aid organizations working there A few days later the South Sudanese government hiked the
15
fee for work permits for foreign aid workers from $100 to $10000 Its unclear whether the
fee would apply only to newcomers or to those already there as well Whatever the case the
amount is absolutely unheard of globally said Julien Schopp director for Humanitarian
Practice at InterAction an alliance of 180 nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) working
around the world No organization can afford this and if NGOs go to their institutional
donors to request that extra money Im pretty sure that [the donors] will be reluctant to pay
this because they will see this to some extent as ransom NPR
top of page
USCENTCOM
Afghanistan Afghan fighting pressures hospitals clinics
- childrens rights group
6 March - Hospitals and clinics in Afghanistan have increasingly been targeted by armed
groups over the past two years weakening an already degraded health system a childrens
rights group said in a report issued on Monday Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict
said attacks had further restricted or even blocked medical care in a country where almost a
third of the population of more than 30 million lacks access to basic health services Armed
groups had forced temporary or permanent closure of medical facilities damaged or
destroyed medical facilities looted medical supplies stolen ambulances threatened
intimidated extorted or detained medical personnel and occupied medical facilities for
military purposes it said The report hellip said there were 119 conflict-related incidents
targeting medical facilities and personnel last year quoting a figure from the United
Nations Mission in Afghanistan Reuters
Afghanistan ISIS militants disguised as doctors kill 38 in
Kabul hospital attack
8 March - Islamic State has claimed responsibility for an attack on a Kabul military hospital
by gunmen disguised as doctors who breached the facility and battled security forces for
hours More than 30 people died and dozens more were injured the Afghan defence
ministry said The attack began with a suicide bombing at the rear of the hospital complex
in the Afghan capital Officials said at least three gunmen dressed as medical staff then
entered the 400-bed Sardar Mohammad Daud Khan facility and took up positions on the
upper floors A second explosion was heard as Afghan special forces engaged the gunmen
and ldquoheavy fightingrdquo ensued a defence ministry spokesman said The Guardian
Iraq ISIS allegedly used chemical weapons in Mosul
battle injuring civilians
6 March - ISIS militants used chemical weapons during the battle for the city of Mosul last
16
week injuring a number of civilians according to a senior Iraqi security official The officials
assessment comes after the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) issued a
statement last week saying that their workers had treated patients from Mosul who were
suffering from symptoms consistent with exposure to a toxic chemical agent Over a
number of days last week the ICRC said it treated 15 such patients hellip It was certainly [the
result of] a toxic chemical agent because their symptoms were absolutely clear People had
blisters they vomited They had irritation in the eyes and coughed she added The World
Health Organization said in a statement that hellip the use of chemical weapons is a war
crime Both the WHO and ICRC said that the patients symptoms were consistent with
exposure to a blistering agent NBC News
Syria Syrian children suffer staggering levels of trauma
and distress ndash report
6 March - A Save the Children study says Syriarsquos mental
health crisis has reached a tipping point and that severe
distress among children could cause life-long damage
The report says 58 million of children in Syria are in need
of aid Children in Syria are suffering from ldquotoxic stressrdquo a
severe form of psychological trauma that can cause life-
long damage according to a study that charts a rise in self-harm and suicide attempts
among children as young as 12 hellip More than 70 of children interviewed experienced
common symptoms of ldquotoxic stressrdquo or post-traumatic stress disorder such as bedwetting
the study found Loss of speech aggression and substance abuse are also commonplace
About 48 of adults reported seeing children who have lost the ability to speak or who
have developed speech impediments since the war began hellip The majority of children
interviewed showed signs of ldquosevere emotional stressrdquo and 78 of them felt grief and
extreme sadness some of the time The Guardian
top of page
USEUCOM
EuropeUS Mutual Recognition promises new
framework for pharmaceutical inspections for United
States and European Union
2 March - The United States and the European Union (EU) completed an exchange of letters
to amend the Pharmaceutical Annex to the 1998 US-EU Mutual Recognition Agreement
Under this agreement US and EU regulators will be able to utilize each otherrsquos good
manufacturing practice inspections of pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities The
17
amended agreement represents the culmination of nearly three years of US Food and Drug
Administration and EU cooperation as part of the Mutual Reliance Initiative and will allow
the FDA and EU drug inspectors to rely upon information from drug inspections conducted
within each otherrsquos borders Ultimately this will enable the FDA and EU to avoid the
duplication of drug inspections lower inspection costs and enable regulators to devote
more resources to other parts of the world where there may be greater risk FDA
Israel marijuana Users to face fine rather than criminal
charge
5 March - The Israeli government has taken steps to reduce the penalties for personal
marijuana use It backed plans to issue fines initially and only resort to criminal charges for
repeat offenders Selling buying and producing the drug will remain illegal and the move
must still be ratified by parliament According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime almost
9 of Israelis use cannabis though some experts believe the figure to be higher The move
follows recommendations by a committee set up to study the issue and moves by a
number of US states and European nations to decriminalise use of the drug BBC News
Romania Measles outbreak in Romania - ECDC assesses
the risk of spread to and sustained transmission in
EUEEA countries
7 March - An outbreak of measles is ongoing in Romania From the end of September 2016
to 17 February 2017 the Romanian National Institute of Public Health received reports of
3071 cases of measles Cases continue to be reported despite ongoing response measures
at national level through reinforced vaccination activities hellip Considering the size and
geographical spread of the ongoing measles outbreak in Romania the likelihood of
exportation of measles cases is high Between 1 February 2016 and 31 January 2017 ECDC
received reports of 4484 cases of measles from 30 EUEEA countries hellip Given that the
vaccination coverage target [of 95] is still to be reached in a number of EUEEA countries
the risk of spread and sustained transmission from areas where measles transmission is
occurring in areas with susceptible populations is high Eurosurveillance
Romania Romanias healthcare exodus
9 March - hellip Romania has bled out tens of thousands of doctors nurses dentists and
pharmacists since joining the European Union a decade ago lured abroad by what the
country lacks significantly higher pay modern infrastructure and functional healthcare
systems France Germany and Britain are among the most popular destinations The
consequences are dire Romania is one of the EU states with the fewest doctors Nearly a
third of hospital positions are vacant and the health ministry estimates one in four
Romanians has insufficient access to essential healthcare hellip This despite the fact that
Romania is a leading EU state when it comes to the number of medical graduates Reuters
18
Switzerland Measles outbreaks continue to plague
Switzerland
28 February - Switzerland is on track to see the most cases of measles in years in 2017
Vaccinations are on the rise but the government recently admitted its eradication strategy
has failed In 1987 the Federal Health Office announced a vaccination strategy that it hoped
would eradicate measles by the year 2000 Seventeen years after that deadline the
vaccination rate lies at 87 below the 95 that the World Health Organization deems a
target for eradication Daniel Koch head of the infectious disease unit at the Federal Health
Office told swissinfoch that ldquothe number of people who are vaccinated has been
consistently rising but wersquore not yet where we want to berdquo Over the past several decades
Switzerland has had significant outbreaks roughly every four years In a long-term outbreak
between 2006 and 2009 Switzerland reached the highest measles rate in Europe with 4371
registered cases SWI
United Kingdom Nestleacute to remove 10 of sugar from all
snacks in UK and Ireland by 2018
7 March - Nestleacute one of the worldrsquos biggest chocolate manufacturers will take 10 of the
sugar out of its confectionery in the UK and Ireland by 2018 The corporation says the cut is
from the levels existing in its sugary products in 2015 and will amount to about 7500
tonnes The announcement follows public concern over the quantity of sugar in the
countryrsquos diet and its contribution to rising obesity levels The threat of a sugar levy on soft
drinks has encouraged the reformulation of Irn Bru and Lucozade which will escape the tax
although there have been no such moves by PepsiCo or Coca-Cola hellip Nestleacute says it will not
use artificial sweeteners in its confectionery Instead it plans to replace sugar with higher
quantities of existing ingredients or other non-artificial ingredients and ensuring products
are below a certain amount of calories The Guardian
top of page
USNORTHCOM
Canada Dallaire testifies mefloquine drug impaired
thought process in Rwanda
7 March - The Canadian army officer who led the UN peacekeeping mission during the
Rwandan genocide says the antimalarial drug mefloquine affected his thought processes
during his deployment but the military refused to let him stop taking it Romeacuteo Dallaire the
human rights activist retired lieutenant-general and former senator who speaks openly
about his struggles with post-traumatic stress syndrome told the Commons veterans affairs
19
committee this week that mefloquine interferes with the ability to make quick decisions in
military theatres hellip Soldiers who were given mefloquine in Somalia in the early 1990s as
part of a poorly administered ndash and possibly illegal ndash clinical trial run by the Department of
National Defence have told the veterans affairs committee that the medication caused
lasting brain damage hellip Health Canada began in December to review available information
about any causal link between the use of mefloquine and persistent neurological or
psychiatric adverse events their frequency and severity and whether any particular segment
of the population is at increased risk The Globe and Mail
US CDC wants better data to manage global
communicable diseases
6 March - To better understand how diseases travel with international airline passengers
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is seeking advanced global aviation
intelligence data and analytical tools to enhance the agencyrsquos ability to analyze global
aviation patterns In a request for proposals posted Feb 16 the CDC said it needs more
advanced data and tools because air travel has become an increasingly common conduit for
the spread of disease ldquoThe need is immediate and ongoing for a single secure and web-
based global aviation database and analytical application to support analysis of aviation
global capacity and domestic and international passenger traffic (historical and future)rdquo the
RFP said GCN
US EPA chief unconvinced on CO2 link to global
warming
9 March - The new head of the Environmental Protection Agency said on Thursday he is not
convinced that carbon dioxide from human activity is the main driver of climate change and
said he wants Congress to weigh in on whether CO2 is a harmful pollutant that should be
regulated In an interview with CNBC EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt said the Trump
administration will make an announcement on fuel efficiency standards for cars very soon
stressing that he and President Donald Trump believe current standards were rushed
through Pruitt 48 is a climate change denier who sued the agency he now leads more than
a dozen times as Oklahomas attorney general He said he was not convinced that carbon
dioxide pollution from burning fossil fuels like oil gas and coal is the main cause of climate
change a conclusion widely embraced by scientists Reuters
US EPA environmental justice leader resigns amid
White House plans to dismantle program
9 March - A key environmental justice leader at the Environmental Protection Agency has
resigned saying that a recent budget proposal to defund such work would harm the people
who most rely on the EPA Mustafa Ali a senior advisor and assistant associate
administrator for environmental justice has served more than two decades at the agency
working to ease the burden of air and water pollution in hundreds of poor minority
20
communities nationwide He helped found the EPArsquos environmental justice office during the
early 1990s and became a key adviser to agency administrators under Republican and
Democratic presidents hellip [T]he White House is seeking to close the agencyrsquos Office of
Environmental Justice hellip [T]he new administration hellip ldquoassumes any future EJ specific policy
work can be transferred to the Office of Policyrdquo The Washington Post
US FDA has encouraged development but needs to
clarify the role of draft guidance and develop qualified
infectious disease product guidance
January 2017 - Antibiotics have long played a key role in treating infections but this role is
threatened by growing resistance to existing antibiotics and the decline in the development
of new drugs hellip The [Generating Antibiotic Incentives Now (GAIN)] provisions created the
[qualified infectious disease products (QIDP)] designation and its associated incentives to
encourage the development of new drugs to treat serious or life-threatening infections
While it is too soon to tell if GAIN has stimulated the development of new drugs GAO was
asked to provide information on FDArsquos efforts to implement GAIN hellip GAO recommends that
FDA clarify the role of draft guidance for and develop written guidance on the QIDP
designation to help drug sponsors better understand the designation and its associated
incentives HHS said it would consider GAOrsquos first recommendation and agreed with the
second GAO believes the first recommendation should also be adopted GAO
US Forbidding forecast for Lyme disease in the
northeast
6 March - hellip [Rick] Keesing and [Felicia] Ostfeld who have
studied Lyme for more than 20 years have come up with an
early warning system for the disease They can predict how
many cases there will be a year in advance by looking at one
key measurement Count the mice the year before The
number of critters scampering around the forest in the
summer correlates to the Lyme cases the following summer theyve reported The
explanation is simple Mice are highly efficient transmitters of Lyme They infect up to 95
percent of ticks that feed on them Mice are responsible for infecting the majority of ticks
carrying Lyme in the Northeast And ticks love mice An individual mouse might have 50
60 even 100 ticks covering its ears and face Ostfeld says So that mouse plague last year
means there is going to be a Lyme plague this year NPR
US Obamacare repeal guts crucial public health funds
8 March - The latest Republican health-care bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act would
eliminate funds for fundamental public health programs including for the prevention of
bioterrorism and disease outbreaks as well as money to provide immunizations and heart-
disease screenings As part of the ACA or Obamacare the Prevention and Public Health
21
Fund provides almost $1 billion annually to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Since 2010 the fund has been an increasingly important source of money for core CDC
programs today accounting for about 12 percent of the CDCrsquos total budget The GOP bill
would eliminate the Prevention and Public Health Fund starting in October of next year No
clear replacement has been proposed The Washington Post
US Patients demand the right to try experimental
drugs but costs can be steep 3 March - In the last three years 33 US states have passed laws aimed at helping dying
people get easier access to experimental treatments that are still in the early stages of
human testing Supporters say these patients are just looking for the right to try these
treatments Such laws sound compassionate but medical ethicists warn they pose
worrisome risks to the health and finances of vulnerable patients hellip Dr R Adams Dudley
director of UCSFs Center for Healthcare Value [says] If we take the FDA out of it how do
we protect people from physicians or drug companies that will want to sell them things and
will want to prey on their desperation hellip Patients could spend huge amounts of money
trying a drug that hasnt been proved to work he says And the patient may also be giving
up their hopes for a controlled peaceful death at home NPR
US Ten million lives saved by 1962 breakthrough study
says 3 March - Nearly 200 million cases of polio measles mumps rubella varicella adenovirus
rabies and hepatitis Amdashand approximately 450000 deaths from these diseasesmdashwere
prevented in the US alone between 1963 and 2015 by vaccination researchers estimate
In 1963 vaccination against these infections became widespread thanks to the
development of a human cell strain that allowed vaccines to be produced safely Globally
the vaccines developed from this strain and its derivatives prevented an estimated 45
billion cases of disease and saved more than 10 million lives Author S Jay Olshansky
professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of Illinois at Chicago School of
Public Health hellip used previously-published data on cases and deaths for each disease in the
US in 1960 before vaccines were available for these diseases Medical Xpress
US US skin disease burden expected to increase 3 March - More than one-fourth of Americans (27) were seen by a physician for skin
disease in 2013 and they averaged 16 skin diseases each researchers found Skin disease
costs at least $75 billion to treat in a single year and is an especially big problem in the 65-
and-older population which tends to get more skin diseases due to lifelong cumulative sun
exposure and increasing susceptibility to bacterial viral and fungal diseases With the
projected increase in the age group 65 years and older in the US population combined
with the increased costs of currently in-use and newly developed dermatologic treatment
options the economic burden of skin disease will continue to grow the investigators
wrote MedPage Today
top of page
22
USPACOM
India India abortion - police find 19 female foetuses
6 March - Police in the western Indian state of Maharashtra have found 19 aborted female
foetuses near a hospital Senior police officials in Sangli district said the remains were
buried with the intention of disposing them The police told the BBC that they found the
foetuses while they were investigating the death of a woman who had undergone an illegal
abortion Activists say the incident proves yet again that female foeticide is rampant in India
despite awareness campaigns The police said that the woman had died in a botched
abortion and they were looking for the foetus near a local hospital when they made the
grisly discovery It appears to be an abortion racket We have arrested the husband of the
woman and have launched a manhunt for the doctor who has gone missing Dattatray
Shinde superintendent of police told the BBC BBC News
India Missing the signals - Indiarsquos anti-vaccination social
media campaign
7 March - India recently launched a one-month campaign to vaccinate over 35 million
9-month to 15-year old children with a measles-rubella vaccine across five states The
campaign marked the start of a two-year initiative aiming to vaccinate over 400 million
children across India ndash part of a larger global effort to eliminate measles and rubella By the
end of the first month of the campaign it became clear that it was struggling to meet its
goal A different kind of campaign was circulating on WhatsApp and Facebook ndash fuelling a
mix of conspiracy theories safety concerns and questioning around why the vaccine and
the campaign were needed Whatrsquos more the rumours were taking hold in the wealthier
southern states with generally the best education and health indicators in the country
The Vaccine Confidence Project
Myanmar Tuberculosis kills 14 in Myanmarrsquos remote
north
9 March - At least 14 people have died from pulmonary tuberculosis in a remote and
impoverished region in Myanmarrsquos north this year according to officials Thursday The
illness characterized by a persistent cough has hit two villages in Lahe Township of the
mountainous Naga region located around 1300 kilometers (800 miles) from Myanmarrsquos
largest city Yangon Maung Kal a lawmaker representing the area told Anadolu Agency on
Thursday that 14 middle-aged people -- including six women -- have succumbed to the
disease over the past two months hellip According to World Health Organization (WHO)
estimates more than 150000 people suffer from tuberculosis in Myanmar which is
currently included in a list of 30 countries recognized as high-burden with the infectious
respiratory disease Anadolu Agency
top of page
23
USSOUTHCOM
Brazil WHO expands vaccination advice as yellow fever
covers southeast Brazil state
7 March - The entire Brazilian state of Espirito Santo is now considered at risk for yellow
fever transmission the World Health Organization says raising concerns the deadly virus
could spread to the nations biggest cities An ongoing yellow fever outbreak has so far
been limited to rural areas hellip [b]ut there are growing concerns the virus could spread to
urban centers like Rio de Janeiro Sao Paulo Belo Horizonte and Vitoria - areas where tens
of millions live Reuters
Ecuador Leads desperate artisans
Spring 2017 - hellip Lead has been used in ceramic glazes for thousands of years for its
beautiful and strong finishmdashbut more importantlymdashbecause it enables the glaze to melt at
a lower temperature facilitating the use of backyard low-fire kilns In La Victoria to get the
lead for these glazes artisans turned to the lead plates from car batteries manually
removing them and melting them down in their kilns This process aerosolized the lead
enabling it to be inhaled by people and distributed across the environment widely
contaminating soil foods objects and homes hellip [Edgar] Neto tells me that environmental
health inspections should be done in La Victoria every three months but there are no police
to enforce the environmental laws Although no one in La Victoria tells stories of fines levied
for crimes against the environment the social structure within the political and artisan
associations here is strong and much of the lead use among artisans has changed hellip While
excessive exposure and acute lead toxicity may have abated leadrsquos potential for health
problems continuesmdashin the form of chronic exposure Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health
top of page
24
US Military | Global | Influenza | VeterinaryFood Safety | Wellness | Contact Us
USAFRICOM | USCENTCOM | USEUCOM | USNORTHCOM | USPACOM | USSOUTHCOM
The Army Public Health Weekly Update does not analyze the information as to its strategic or tactical impact on the US Army and is not a medical
intelligence product Medical intelligence is available from the National Center for Medical Intelligence
External Links The appearance of external hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the US Army of this Web site or the information products
or services contained therein For other than authorized activities such as military exchanges and MWR sites the US Army does not exercise any
editorial control over the information you may find at these locations Such links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of this product
Although we avoid links to sites that may be blocked all sites may not be accessible from all locations While we verify the links at the time of
publication we cannot guarantee that they will be active in the future
Articles appearing in the Update do not necessarily represent US Army Medical Command opinionsviews policy or guidance and should not be
construed or interpreted as being endorsed by the US Army Medical Command
The Army Public Health Weekly Update is published by the Public Health Information Directorate Army Public Health Center
4
Fact Sheet
Perfluorooctane
Sulfonate (PFOS) amp
Perfluorooctanoic
Acid (PFOA) in
Drinking Water -
Frequently Asked
Questions for
Consumers
Army-owned or operated
drinking water systems are
being sampled for PFOS
and PFOA as part of the
Armyrsquos ongoing effort to
ensure good quality
drinking water
The Army will inform
consumers of sampling
results and the actions
taken to eliminate or
reduce PFOS and PFOA in
water systems if
concentrations are
detected above the LHA
levels
Shulkin said Wednesday the additional coverage was needed to help former service
members who are more likely to have mental health distress He said the department
couldnt wait for legislation and needed to act now noting that the vast majority of veterans
who took their lives had not been connected to VA care hellip By June or July the VA said it will
specifically provide the mental health care to those with other than honorable discharges
from the military typically for misconduct such as violence or use of illegal drugs Currently
such discharges can prevent veterans from receiving federal benefits hellip The VA is also
seeking to hire 1000 more mental health providers and establish strong hubs to reach
veterans with mental health assistance by phone in rural parts of the country Fox News
top of page
GLOBAL
Can salted doorknobs prevent superbug infections
3 March - hellip [One] option [to combat superbugs like Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus
aureus] is to coat those frequently fondled objects most likely to carry the bugsmdash
doorknobs bed rails toilet handlesmdashwith a special anti-microbial surface like copper hellip
Brayden Whitlock a graduate student at the University of Alberta [designed] a pilot study
that put salt and copper head to head Coupon-sized strips of pure compressed sodium
chloride were covered in an MRSA culture alongside similar strips of antimicrobial copper
and stainless steel Whitlock found that salt killed off the bug 20 to 30 times faster than the
copper did reducing MRSA levels by 85 percent after 20 seconds and by 94 percent after a
minute hellip [Other] researchers hellip have found another potential medical use for salt this time
as a coating on surgical masks These masks are designed to trap viruses that wearers are
carrying like influenza but need to be thrown away after a single use hellip Hyo-Jick Choi hellip
found that soaking the inner membrane of a common surgical mask in a solution of sodium
chloride made the mask actually able to destroy the flu virus outright which could allow for
multiple uses The Atlantic
Health of ticks may be key to health of humans
7 March - Doctors and researchers say preventing Lyme
and other diseases would be preferable to trying to
treat the conditions [Joao] Pedra has some ideas about
how scientific discoveries from his lab may eventually
contribute to prevention efforts One avenue could be a
vaccine that protects people by producing an antibody
in humans that is transferred to feasting ticks so they dont feed well and fall off before they
can pass on a germ Another path could involve spraying much like people do for
mosquitoes The spray would contain a compound that triggers over-activity in the ticks
immune system preventing them from harboring threatening microbes hellip There will be
5
CDC Workshops on
Emerging Infectious
Disease
Preparedness
Beginning this month the
Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention and
National Ebola Training amp
Education Center will offer
two free training
workshops on emerging
infectious disease
preparedness for clinicians
health care workers and
public health officials
Details and Registration
challenges however for other researchers in translating the science into specific preventive
measures he said One challenge [is] the ticks relatively long life cycle of two to three years
which makes manipulating and studying ticks more laborious compared with mosquitoes
that live less than two months The Baltimore Sun
New technique uses gold nanoparticles to rapidly detect
Ebola
7 March - Researchers from the University at Albany have developed a test that can detect
the presence of Ebola virus from a urine sample much faster and more cost-effectively than
current methods The technique hellip relies on biomarkers and gold nanoparticles which if
triggered turn the sample red to indicate infection or purple to indicate no infection
Certain biomarkers for Ebola can be found in urine and the gold nanoparticles are
functionalized with DNA receptors that can bind to these Ebola biomarkers and trigger a
chain reaction hellip It is a fairly simple method that allows for visual detection of Ebola in
minutes hellip Overall the team tested 25 urine samples containing four biomarkers associated
with Ebola The method produced accurate results in 24 samples including each of the four
subtypes of Ebola hellip Overall the process takes about four to five hours which compared to
current standard Ebola detection methods that can take several days for results is a vast
improvement Bioscience Technology
NIH-funded study helps explain how zebrafish recover
from blinding injuries
9 March - Researchers hellip have discovered that in zebrafish decreased levels of the
neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) cue the retina the light-sensing tissue
in the back of the eye to produce stem cells The finding sheds light on how the zebrafish
regenerates its retina after injury and informs efforts to restore vision in people who are
blind hellip This work opens up new ideas for therapies for blinding diseases and has
implications for the broader field of regenerative medicine said Tom Greenwell PhD NIH
Pipe-climbing bacteria might spread infection from
hospital sinks
1 March - Bacteria can thrive in p-traps those ldquoU
bendsrdquo below sink drains that collect everything from
errant earrings to lost toothpaste tube caps Thatrsquos a big
problem especially in hospitals where sinks have been
linked to a slew of bacterial outbreaks To determine
exactly how the pathogens spread scientists built a row
of five sinks in a setup similar to that in many hospitals with all of them draining into the
same pipe hellip [S]cientists seeded p-traps with harmless fluorescent bacteria to see where
the microbes traveled hellip [T]he bacteria flourished shimmying up the pipe at a rate of about
25 centimeters per day to contaminate sink drain covers There faucet water splattered the
6
Classified Version of
the Weekly Update
An Army Public Health
Weekly Update is available
with articles classified up to
the SECRET level from the
USAPHC SIPRNet site
httpphcarmysmilmil
Look under Hot Topics amp
Current Issues
To access this version you
will need a SECRET
clearance and a SIPRNet
account
Links
A-Z Index
About APHC
Army Public Health
Weekly Update Archives
Medical Surveillance
Monthly Report
Medical Threat Briefings
(AKO)
Request APHC Services
APHC Resource Materials
APHC Homepage
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Contact APHC
bacteria around the sink bowl and countertop Science
Study Half of the studies you read about in the news are
wrong
3 March - hellip A single study is rarely the final answer And yet for science reporters new
studies are irresistible mdash a bold new finding makes a great headline hellip The problem isnrsquot
necessarily that these studies are poorly designed (although some of them may be) The
problem is that each headline gives an incomplete glimpse of how science works One lab
produces a result Another lab mdash ideally mdash tries to replicate that result Rinse and repeat
Eventually someone needs to do a meta-review of the totality of the evidence on the
question to reach a conclusion That meta-review rather than any one study in isolation is
likely to get closer to the true answer Yet as researchers in PLOS One recently found
journalists typically only cover those initial papers mdash and skip over writing about the
clarifying meta-reviews that come later on VOX
Surgery or drugs Doctorsrsquo pay may influence choice
8 March - Sometimes doctors choose to do surgery not because it is absolutely preferable
to other treatments but because they get reimbursed for it a new study suggests
Researchers looked at patients with a narrowed artery in the neck a condition called carotid
artery stenosis that can be treated with surgery or managed with medicine and lifestyle
changes The choice is often a judgment call Some were treated in a fee-for-service system
which pays doctors for every procedure they do Others were treated by doctors on salary at
a military hospital After adjusting for health behavioral and socioeconomic variables they
found that over all patients in the fee-for-service system were 63 percent more likely to
have surgery than those in the salary system The New York Times
The cost of a polluted environment 17 million child
deaths a year says WHO
6 March - More than 1 in 4 deaths of children under 5 years of age are attributable to
unhealthy environments Every year environmental risks ndash such as indoor and outdoor air
pollution second-hand smoke unsafe water lack of sanitation and inadequate hygiene ndash
take the lives of 17 million children under 5 years say two new WHO reports The first
report Inheriting a Sustainable World Atlas on Childrenrsquos Health and the Environment
reveals that a large portion of the most common causes of death among children aged 1
month to 5 years ndash diarrhoea malaria and pneumonia ndash are preventable by interventions
known to reduce environmental risks such as access to safe water and clean cooking fuels
hellip Harmful exposures can start in the motherrsquos womb and increase the risk of premature
birth Additionally when infants and pre-schoolers are exposed to indoor and outdoor air
pollution and second-hand smoke they have an increased risk of pneumonia in childhood
and a lifelong increased risk of chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma WHO
7
VA study highlights benefits of enhanced aspirin in
preventing certain cancers
1 March - Researchers know of aspirinrsquos benefits in preventing certain ailments mdash from
cardiovascular disease to most recently colorectal cancer But while the link to those two
conditions was made researchers also questioned how and if this ldquowonder drugrdquo could
work to ward off other types of cancers hellip [N]ew studies verify their theory of cancer-
prevention benefits based on aspirinrsquos effects on plateletsmdashblood cells that form clots to
stop bleeding hellip ldquoAlong with clotting platelets also play a role in forming new blood
vesselsrdquo Vijayan said ldquoThat action is normally beneficial such as when a new clot forms
after a wound and new vessels are needed to redirect blood flow But the same action can
help tumors grow Itrsquos this process that aspirin can interruptrdquo Aerotech News
Yellow fever mdash once again on the radar screen in the
Americas
8 March - hellip Over the past several weeks a fifth arbovirus yellow fever virus has broken out
in Brazil with the majority of the infections occurring in rural areas of the country These are
referred to as sylvatic or jungle cases since the typical transmission cycle occurs between
forest mosquitoes and forest-dwelling nonhuman primates with humans serving only as
incidental hosts In this ongoing outbreak health authorities have reported 234 confirmed
infections and 80 confirmed deaths as of February 2017 The high number of cases is out
of proportion to the number reported in a typical year in these areas Although there is
currently no evidence that human-to-human transmission through Aedes aegypti
mosquitoes (urban transmission) has occurred the outbreak is affecting areas in close
proximity to major urban centers where yellow fever vaccine is not routinely administered
This proximity raises concern that for the first time in decades urban transmission of yellow
fever will occur in Brazil Although it is highly unlikely that we will see yellow fever
outbreaks in the continental United States where mosquito density is low and risk of
exposure is limited it is possible that travel-related cases of yellow fever could occur with
brief periods of local transmission in warmer regions such as the Gulf Coast states where
A aegypti mosquitoes are prevalent The New England Journal of Medicine
ZIKA VIRUS
Blood donor screening finds 13 Zika rate in Puerto Rico
last year
7 March - In a study that expands on an earlier analysis screening of blood donations in
Puerto Rico last spring and summer found a 13 incidence of Zika virus hellip Assuming a 99-
day duration of viremia (virus in the blood) the investigators extrapolated that 469321
people on the island were infected during that period for an estimated cumulative
8
incidence of 129 (range 110 to 154) They further estimated that 69675 women of
reproductive age were infected in that time span or 97 of the total population of such
women
CIDRAP News Scan (first item)
Zika case counts in the US
Data reported to ArboNET for January 1 2015 ndash March 8 2017 CDC
US States
5109 Zika virus disease cases reported
4813 cases in travelers returning from affected
areas
221 cases acquired through presumed local
mosquito-borne transmission in Florida
(N=215) and Texas (N=6)
75 cases acquired through other routes
including sexual transmission (N=45)
congenital infection (N=28) laboratory
transmission (N=1) and person-to-person
through an unknown route (N=1)
US Territories
38099 Zika virus disease cases reported
147 cases in travelers returning from affected
areas
37952 cases acquired through presumed local
mosquito-borne transmission
0 cases acquired through other routes
Sexually transmitted cases are not reported for
US territories because with local transmission of
Zika virus it is not possible to determine
whether infection occurred due to mosquito-
borne or sexual transmission
top of page
INFLUENZA
APHC US Army Influenza Activity Report
For the week ending 25 February 2017 (Week 8)
Overall influenza activity and positive influenza A samples decreased in Army and civilian
populations
ILI Activity Army ILI (influenza-like illness) outpatient visits in week 8 were 13
higher than the same week last year
Influenza cases Seven hospitalized influenza-associated cases were reported to
APHC through DRSi in week 7 and all were non-AD beneficiaries
Viral specimens During week 8 980 of 2894 (34) lab specimens tested positive for
respiratory pathogens Of 697 influenza A-positive specimens RHC-A reported 402
(577) followed by RHC-C (254 364) RHC-P (25 36) RHC-E (15 22) and
CENTCOM (1 01) APHC
CDC Flu View - Weekly US Influenza Surveillance
Report
During week 8 (February 19-25 2017) influenza activity remained elevated in the United
9
States
Viral Surveillance The most frequently identified influenza virus subtype reported
by public health laboratories during week 8 was influenza A (H3) The percentage of
respiratory specimens testing positive for influenza in clinical laboratories remained
elevated
Pneumonia and Influenza Mortality The proportion of deaths attributed to
pneumonia and influenza (PampI) was above the system-specific epidemic threshold
in the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) Mortality Surveillance System
Influenza-associated Pediatric Deaths Six influenza-associated pediatric deaths
were reported CDC
ECDC Flu News Europe
Week 82017 (20-26 February 2017)
Influenza activity across the region while decreasing remained above levels
observed during the out of season period
The proportion of influenza virus detections among sentinel surveillance specimens
decreased to 33 from 38 in the previous week
The great majority of detected and subtyped influenza viruses were A(H3N2) and
while the proportion of type B viruses increased as commonly seen in the second
half of an influenza season their numbers remained low
The number of hospitalized laboratory-confirmed influenza cases reported
primarily in people aged 65 years or older continued to decrease
European Center for Disease Prevention and ControlWHO
Increase in human infections with avian influenza
A(H7N9) Virus during the fifth epidemic mdash China
October 2016ndashFebruary 2017
10 March - During March 2013ndashFebruary 24 2017 annual epidemics of avian influenza
A(H7N9) in China resulted in 1258 avian influenza A(H7N9) virus infections in humans being
reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) by the National Health and Family
Planning Commission of China and other regional sources During the first four epidemics
88 of patients developed pneumonia 68 were admitted to an intensive care unit and
41 died Candidate vaccine viruses (CVVs) were developed and vaccine was manufactured
based on representative viruses detected after the emergence of A(H7N9) virus in humans
in 2013 During the ongoing fifth epidemic (beginning October 1 2016) 460 human
infections with A(H7N9) virus have been reported hellip Although the clinical characteristics
and risk factors for human infections do not appear to have changed the reported human
infections during the fifth epidemic represent a significant increase compared with the first
four epidemics Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Update
NHRC Febrile Respiratory Illness Surveillance Update
For the week ending 2 January 2016
10
Influenza Fourteen cases of NHRC laboratory-confirmed influenza (AH3) among
US military basic trainees
FRI surveillance at all eight US military basic training centers indicated FRI rates
were elevated at Fort Jackson NRTC Great Lakes MCRD Parris Island Lackland AFB
and CGTC Cape May Naval Health Research Center
USAFSAM amp DHA DoD Global Laboratory-Based
Influenza Surveillance Program
During 12 - 25 February 2017 (Surveillance Weeks 7 amp 8) a total of 570 specimens were
collected from 49 locations Results were finalized for 455 specimens from 44 locations
During Week 7 one influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 144 influenza A(H3N2) and 28 influenza B
viruses were identified During Week 8 three influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 91 influenza
A(H3N2) one influenza A(H3N2) amp Influenza B and 14 influenza B viruses were identified
Approximately 50 of specimens tested positive for influenza during Week 7
Approximately 50 of specimens tested positive for influenza during Week 8 The influenza
percent positive for the season is approximately 35
US Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine amp Defense Health Agency
USDA has $80 million-$90 million to fight bird flu
9 March - The US Department of Agriculture has $80 million to $90 million left over from
the last major outbreak of bird flu to fight any new discoveries of the virus the
departments chief veterinary officer said on Thursday USDA must appeal to Congress if
more money is needed to fight the disease which was recently found in two US states and
also has been confirmed across Asia and in Europe Any potential request for emergency
funding is complicated as US President Donald Trumps choice for the position has not yet
been confirmed by the Senate Reuters
WHO Influenza Update
6 March - Influenza activity in the temperate zone of the northern hemisphere continued to
be elevated in some countries Influenza activity in many countries especially in East Asia
and Europe appeared to have already peaked Worldwide influenza A(H3N2) virus was
predominant The majority of influenza viruses characterized so far were similar antigenically
to the reference viruses contained in vaccines for use in the 2016-2017 northern hemisphere
influenza season Nearly all tested viruses collected recently for antiviral sensitivity were
susceptible to the neuraminidase inhibitor antiviral medications WHO
top of page
11
VETERINARYFOOD SAFETY
2 dead in multi-state Listeria outbreak traced to Vulto
cheese
9 March - Two people are dead and four others are confirmed sick with a strain of Listeria
monocytogenes found in cheese made from unpasteurized raw milk Vulto Creamery is
recalling the cheese from retailers and distributors nationwide Itrsquos been more than five
months since the first outbreak victim became sick on Sept 1 2016 but federal officials said
Jos Vulto owner of the Walton NY cheese operation initiated the recall as soon as he heard
about the ldquocannot rule outrdquo test results on his cheese He began pulling cheese back from
his customers March 3 and posted the public recall Tuesday Since then the Food and Drug
Administration has confirmed Listeria monocytogenes in Vultorsquos finished product hellip The
most recent illness began on Jan 22 Food Safety News
fMRI predicts if Fido is fit for service
7 March - Using functional MRI to identify certain areas of brain activity helped improved
predictions about which dogs were not suitable for service dog training a small study
found hellip [R]esearchers said they used fMRI on 43 service dogs prior to training -- 33 of
which completed training and were matched with a person and 10 of which were released
for behavioral reasons Dogs with a higher level of response in the amygdala an area of the
brain linked with excitability were more likely to fail the service training program This was a
modest improvement over current prediction methods that involve evaluating the dogs
temperament MedPage Today
Four more states report soy nut butter E coli infections
8 March - Four more people from four additional states became infected with Shiga toxin-
producing E coli O157H7 bacteria after consuming a certain brand of soy nut butter and
granola according to the CDC Missouri Virginia Washington and Wisconsin have all
reported individuals becoming ill after consuming IM Healthy Brand SoyNut Butter --
bringing the total affected to 16 Two additional people have been hospitalized with
hemolytic uremic syndrome All five individuals with this type of kidney failure were
children a CDC investigation found MedPage Today
The military kills 8500 pigs and goats every year for
medical training A new bill would end that
4 March - A bipartisan group of lawmakers is trying to stop the Defense Department from
killing about 8500 goats and pigs a year in medical training exercises designed to prepare
troops for combat Rep Hank Johnson D-Ga and Rep Tom Marino R-Pa introduced a bill
on Tuesday that would require the military to use only human-based methods to train
service members to treat injuries sustained on the battlefield and end the use of live tissue
12
training in which troops stab or shoot pigs and goats to simulate the treatment of combat
trauma by Oct 1 2020 Johnson told the Washington Examiner he intends to raise the issue
during debate on the fiscal 2018 National Defense Authorization Act and hopes to use the
must-pass bill as a vehicle to ban live-tissue training He said simulators offer better combat
training than live animals are more humane and are ultimately more cost-effective
Washington Examiner
top of page
WELLNESS
Arthritis afflicts about 1 in 4 adults in the US CDC
report finds
7 March - About one in four adults in the United States suffers from arthritis according to a
new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Vital Signs report published Tuesday Of
the 54 million people in the United States who have this debilitating condition not all are
elderly About 60 percent of those with arthritis were between the ages of 18 and 64 that is
working age Activity limitations from arthritis increased by 20 percent since 2002 the
report found Simple everyday tasks such as walking or lifting bags are challenging for 24
million people affected by the condition in the United States Even though movement is
painful and difficult for people with arthritis the report suggests that increased physical
activity can mitigate arthritis symptoms by 40 percent Despite the proven health benefits of
physical activity for arthritis symptoms about 1 in 3 adults with arthritis in the United States
self-reports being physically inactive The Washington Post
Is dieting passeacute Study finds fewer overweight people try
to lose weight
8 March - An increasing number of overweight Americans have lost the motivation to diet
according to a new study hellip Back in 1990 when researchers asked overweight Americans if
they were trying to lose weight 56 percent said yes But this has changed According to the
latest data just 49 percent say theyre trying This may not seem like a big decline But given
that about 2 out of every 3 Americans are either overweight or obese a decline of 7 percent
means millions more people may have given up on dieting The trend is particularly evident
among black women says study author Jian Zhang an epidemiologist at Georgia Southern
University mdash though the trend is seen across the population hellip Its a big concern study
author Jian Zhang told us Obesity increases the risk of a whole range of diseases and
theres a concern that people who are overweight and obese may be ignoring or
overlooking the risks Not everyone is convinced that the dip in dieting is bad Theres a
possible good news story in this says Janet Tomiyama a psychologist at UCLA who studies
eating behavior and weight stigma hellip Tomiyama says there are signs that the strong anti-fat
13
bias in our culture may be shifting NPR
Poor diet tied to nearly half of US deaths from heart
disease stroke diabetes
7 March - Ensuring that diets include the right amount of certain foods may help the US
cut deaths from heart disease stroke and type 2 diabetes by almost half suggests a new
study About 45 percent of deaths from those causes in 2012 could be blamed on people
eating too much or too little of 10 types of foods researchers found hellip [Renata] Micha and
colleagues identified 10 dietary components closely tied to heart disease stroke and type 2
diabetes sodium fruits vegetables whole grains nuts and seeds unprocessed red meats
processed meats polyunsaturated fats like soybean or corn oils seafood omega-3 fats and
sugar-sweetened beverages Based on participants food diaries the researchers estimated
that 318656 of the 702308 deaths from heart disease stroke or type 2 diabetes were tied
to people getting too much or too little of those 10 foods or dietary factors Reuters
Significant differences among occupational groups found
in short sleep duration
7 March - According to a new study published in the CDCrsquos Morbidity and Mortality Weekly
Report there are big differences in the amount of sleep people get depending on their
occupation ldquoWe found that overall prevalence of short sleep duration was 365 percent
among the working adults who responded to the survey ndash but sleep duration varied widely
by occupationrdquo said study author Taylor Shockey MPH of CDCrsquos National Institute for
Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) ldquoWorkers in occupations where alternative
shiftwork is common such as production health care and some transportation jobs were
more likely to have a higher adjusted prevalence of short sleep duration Workers in other
occupation groups such as teachers farmers or pilots were the most likely to report
getting enough sleeprdquo Among the 22 major occupational groups that were researched the
prevalence of short sleep duration ranged from 429 percent for production workers to 313
percent among workers in the farming fishing and forestry occupation group as well as the
education training and library occupation group Other groups that were found to have a
high percentage of short sleep durations include health care support health care
practitioners and technical food preparation and serving-related and protective service
Occupational Health amp Safety
The grateful life may be a longer one
7 March - Can a positive attitude save your life Therersquos not conclusive evidence but hints
are tantalizing enough that researchers hellip are trying to find out ldquoA lot of the long-term
research says if yoursquore an optimist yoursquore more likely to have better healthrdquo says Jeff
Huffman ldquoLetrsquos say yoursquore not an optimist mdash can we turn you into one Can we promote
that and teach that in a durable way [And] will it really work [to improve health] Itrsquos a big
and open questionrdquo The Cardiac Psychiatry Research Program combines exercises designed
to promote positive psychology in cardiac and diabetes patients with techniques known to
14
change behavior such as goal-setting to encourage patients to adhere to medication
regimens improve their diets and become more active The best chance for a positive
outlook to affect health is by promoting exercise Huffman says Harvard Gazette
Warm-ups cool-downs what works what doesnrsquot
8 March - hellip [S]cientists hellip decided to systematically
examine the effects of some of the worldrsquos best-known
warm-up programs the FIFA 11 and its recent update the
FIFA 11+ hellip [T]he original FIFA 11 warm-up is light and
quick lasting about 10 minutes and involving various
kinds of jumping shuffling and balancing exercises The
updated FIFA 11+ is more intense requiring repeated sprints and exercises such as squats
leg lifts and vertical leaps hellip [T]he new study systematically pooled data from the best
earlier studies Those boys girls men and women who regularly completed the FIFA 11+
warm-up before training or games were about 40 percent less likely to sustain knee ankle
hamstring and hip or groin injuries during the season than athletes who warmed up in
other ways Interestingly the easier FIFA 11 warm-up did not substantially reduce the
incidence of subsequent injuries The New York Times
top of page
USAFRICOM
Somalia says 110 dead in last 48 hours due to drought
4 March - Some 110 people have died in southern Somalia in the last two days from famine
and diarrhea resulting from a drought the prime minister said on Saturday as the area
braces itself for widespread shortages of food In February United Nations childrens agency
UNICEF said the drought in Somalia could lead to up to 270000 children suffering from
severe acute malnutrition this year It is a difficult situation for the pastoralists and their
livestock Some people have been hit by famine and diarrhea at the same time In the last
48 hours 110 people died due to famine and diarrhea in Bay region Prime Minister Hassan
Ali Khaires office said in a statement Reuters
South Sudan South Sudan will now charge $10000 for
an aid worker permit Why
7 March - Late last month famine was declared in two counties of the civil-war torn East
African country of South Sudan With 100000 people at risk for dying of starvation in that
area alone and millions more on the brink of crisis-level food shortages throughout the
country South Sudanese President Salva Kiir promised unimpeded access to humanitarian
aid organizations working there A few days later the South Sudanese government hiked the
15
fee for work permits for foreign aid workers from $100 to $10000 Its unclear whether the
fee would apply only to newcomers or to those already there as well Whatever the case the
amount is absolutely unheard of globally said Julien Schopp director for Humanitarian
Practice at InterAction an alliance of 180 nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) working
around the world No organization can afford this and if NGOs go to their institutional
donors to request that extra money Im pretty sure that [the donors] will be reluctant to pay
this because they will see this to some extent as ransom NPR
top of page
USCENTCOM
Afghanistan Afghan fighting pressures hospitals clinics
- childrens rights group
6 March - Hospitals and clinics in Afghanistan have increasingly been targeted by armed
groups over the past two years weakening an already degraded health system a childrens
rights group said in a report issued on Monday Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict
said attacks had further restricted or even blocked medical care in a country where almost a
third of the population of more than 30 million lacks access to basic health services Armed
groups had forced temporary or permanent closure of medical facilities damaged or
destroyed medical facilities looted medical supplies stolen ambulances threatened
intimidated extorted or detained medical personnel and occupied medical facilities for
military purposes it said The report hellip said there were 119 conflict-related incidents
targeting medical facilities and personnel last year quoting a figure from the United
Nations Mission in Afghanistan Reuters
Afghanistan ISIS militants disguised as doctors kill 38 in
Kabul hospital attack
8 March - Islamic State has claimed responsibility for an attack on a Kabul military hospital
by gunmen disguised as doctors who breached the facility and battled security forces for
hours More than 30 people died and dozens more were injured the Afghan defence
ministry said The attack began with a suicide bombing at the rear of the hospital complex
in the Afghan capital Officials said at least three gunmen dressed as medical staff then
entered the 400-bed Sardar Mohammad Daud Khan facility and took up positions on the
upper floors A second explosion was heard as Afghan special forces engaged the gunmen
and ldquoheavy fightingrdquo ensued a defence ministry spokesman said The Guardian
Iraq ISIS allegedly used chemical weapons in Mosul
battle injuring civilians
6 March - ISIS militants used chemical weapons during the battle for the city of Mosul last
16
week injuring a number of civilians according to a senior Iraqi security official The officials
assessment comes after the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) issued a
statement last week saying that their workers had treated patients from Mosul who were
suffering from symptoms consistent with exposure to a toxic chemical agent Over a
number of days last week the ICRC said it treated 15 such patients hellip It was certainly [the
result of] a toxic chemical agent because their symptoms were absolutely clear People had
blisters they vomited They had irritation in the eyes and coughed she added The World
Health Organization said in a statement that hellip the use of chemical weapons is a war
crime Both the WHO and ICRC said that the patients symptoms were consistent with
exposure to a blistering agent NBC News
Syria Syrian children suffer staggering levels of trauma
and distress ndash report
6 March - A Save the Children study says Syriarsquos mental
health crisis has reached a tipping point and that severe
distress among children could cause life-long damage
The report says 58 million of children in Syria are in need
of aid Children in Syria are suffering from ldquotoxic stressrdquo a
severe form of psychological trauma that can cause life-
long damage according to a study that charts a rise in self-harm and suicide attempts
among children as young as 12 hellip More than 70 of children interviewed experienced
common symptoms of ldquotoxic stressrdquo or post-traumatic stress disorder such as bedwetting
the study found Loss of speech aggression and substance abuse are also commonplace
About 48 of adults reported seeing children who have lost the ability to speak or who
have developed speech impediments since the war began hellip The majority of children
interviewed showed signs of ldquosevere emotional stressrdquo and 78 of them felt grief and
extreme sadness some of the time The Guardian
top of page
USEUCOM
EuropeUS Mutual Recognition promises new
framework for pharmaceutical inspections for United
States and European Union
2 March - The United States and the European Union (EU) completed an exchange of letters
to amend the Pharmaceutical Annex to the 1998 US-EU Mutual Recognition Agreement
Under this agreement US and EU regulators will be able to utilize each otherrsquos good
manufacturing practice inspections of pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities The
17
amended agreement represents the culmination of nearly three years of US Food and Drug
Administration and EU cooperation as part of the Mutual Reliance Initiative and will allow
the FDA and EU drug inspectors to rely upon information from drug inspections conducted
within each otherrsquos borders Ultimately this will enable the FDA and EU to avoid the
duplication of drug inspections lower inspection costs and enable regulators to devote
more resources to other parts of the world where there may be greater risk FDA
Israel marijuana Users to face fine rather than criminal
charge
5 March - The Israeli government has taken steps to reduce the penalties for personal
marijuana use It backed plans to issue fines initially and only resort to criminal charges for
repeat offenders Selling buying and producing the drug will remain illegal and the move
must still be ratified by parliament According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime almost
9 of Israelis use cannabis though some experts believe the figure to be higher The move
follows recommendations by a committee set up to study the issue and moves by a
number of US states and European nations to decriminalise use of the drug BBC News
Romania Measles outbreak in Romania - ECDC assesses
the risk of spread to and sustained transmission in
EUEEA countries
7 March - An outbreak of measles is ongoing in Romania From the end of September 2016
to 17 February 2017 the Romanian National Institute of Public Health received reports of
3071 cases of measles Cases continue to be reported despite ongoing response measures
at national level through reinforced vaccination activities hellip Considering the size and
geographical spread of the ongoing measles outbreak in Romania the likelihood of
exportation of measles cases is high Between 1 February 2016 and 31 January 2017 ECDC
received reports of 4484 cases of measles from 30 EUEEA countries hellip Given that the
vaccination coverage target [of 95] is still to be reached in a number of EUEEA countries
the risk of spread and sustained transmission from areas where measles transmission is
occurring in areas with susceptible populations is high Eurosurveillance
Romania Romanias healthcare exodus
9 March - hellip Romania has bled out tens of thousands of doctors nurses dentists and
pharmacists since joining the European Union a decade ago lured abroad by what the
country lacks significantly higher pay modern infrastructure and functional healthcare
systems France Germany and Britain are among the most popular destinations The
consequences are dire Romania is one of the EU states with the fewest doctors Nearly a
third of hospital positions are vacant and the health ministry estimates one in four
Romanians has insufficient access to essential healthcare hellip This despite the fact that
Romania is a leading EU state when it comes to the number of medical graduates Reuters
18
Switzerland Measles outbreaks continue to plague
Switzerland
28 February - Switzerland is on track to see the most cases of measles in years in 2017
Vaccinations are on the rise but the government recently admitted its eradication strategy
has failed In 1987 the Federal Health Office announced a vaccination strategy that it hoped
would eradicate measles by the year 2000 Seventeen years after that deadline the
vaccination rate lies at 87 below the 95 that the World Health Organization deems a
target for eradication Daniel Koch head of the infectious disease unit at the Federal Health
Office told swissinfoch that ldquothe number of people who are vaccinated has been
consistently rising but wersquore not yet where we want to berdquo Over the past several decades
Switzerland has had significant outbreaks roughly every four years In a long-term outbreak
between 2006 and 2009 Switzerland reached the highest measles rate in Europe with 4371
registered cases SWI
United Kingdom Nestleacute to remove 10 of sugar from all
snacks in UK and Ireland by 2018
7 March - Nestleacute one of the worldrsquos biggest chocolate manufacturers will take 10 of the
sugar out of its confectionery in the UK and Ireland by 2018 The corporation says the cut is
from the levels existing in its sugary products in 2015 and will amount to about 7500
tonnes The announcement follows public concern over the quantity of sugar in the
countryrsquos diet and its contribution to rising obesity levels The threat of a sugar levy on soft
drinks has encouraged the reformulation of Irn Bru and Lucozade which will escape the tax
although there have been no such moves by PepsiCo or Coca-Cola hellip Nestleacute says it will not
use artificial sweeteners in its confectionery Instead it plans to replace sugar with higher
quantities of existing ingredients or other non-artificial ingredients and ensuring products
are below a certain amount of calories The Guardian
top of page
USNORTHCOM
Canada Dallaire testifies mefloquine drug impaired
thought process in Rwanda
7 March - The Canadian army officer who led the UN peacekeeping mission during the
Rwandan genocide says the antimalarial drug mefloquine affected his thought processes
during his deployment but the military refused to let him stop taking it Romeacuteo Dallaire the
human rights activist retired lieutenant-general and former senator who speaks openly
about his struggles with post-traumatic stress syndrome told the Commons veterans affairs
19
committee this week that mefloquine interferes with the ability to make quick decisions in
military theatres hellip Soldiers who were given mefloquine in Somalia in the early 1990s as
part of a poorly administered ndash and possibly illegal ndash clinical trial run by the Department of
National Defence have told the veterans affairs committee that the medication caused
lasting brain damage hellip Health Canada began in December to review available information
about any causal link between the use of mefloquine and persistent neurological or
psychiatric adverse events their frequency and severity and whether any particular segment
of the population is at increased risk The Globe and Mail
US CDC wants better data to manage global
communicable diseases
6 March - To better understand how diseases travel with international airline passengers
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is seeking advanced global aviation
intelligence data and analytical tools to enhance the agencyrsquos ability to analyze global
aviation patterns In a request for proposals posted Feb 16 the CDC said it needs more
advanced data and tools because air travel has become an increasingly common conduit for
the spread of disease ldquoThe need is immediate and ongoing for a single secure and web-
based global aviation database and analytical application to support analysis of aviation
global capacity and domestic and international passenger traffic (historical and future)rdquo the
RFP said GCN
US EPA chief unconvinced on CO2 link to global
warming
9 March - The new head of the Environmental Protection Agency said on Thursday he is not
convinced that carbon dioxide from human activity is the main driver of climate change and
said he wants Congress to weigh in on whether CO2 is a harmful pollutant that should be
regulated In an interview with CNBC EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt said the Trump
administration will make an announcement on fuel efficiency standards for cars very soon
stressing that he and President Donald Trump believe current standards were rushed
through Pruitt 48 is a climate change denier who sued the agency he now leads more than
a dozen times as Oklahomas attorney general He said he was not convinced that carbon
dioxide pollution from burning fossil fuels like oil gas and coal is the main cause of climate
change a conclusion widely embraced by scientists Reuters
US EPA environmental justice leader resigns amid
White House plans to dismantle program
9 March - A key environmental justice leader at the Environmental Protection Agency has
resigned saying that a recent budget proposal to defund such work would harm the people
who most rely on the EPA Mustafa Ali a senior advisor and assistant associate
administrator for environmental justice has served more than two decades at the agency
working to ease the burden of air and water pollution in hundreds of poor minority
20
communities nationwide He helped found the EPArsquos environmental justice office during the
early 1990s and became a key adviser to agency administrators under Republican and
Democratic presidents hellip [T]he White House is seeking to close the agencyrsquos Office of
Environmental Justice hellip [T]he new administration hellip ldquoassumes any future EJ specific policy
work can be transferred to the Office of Policyrdquo The Washington Post
US FDA has encouraged development but needs to
clarify the role of draft guidance and develop qualified
infectious disease product guidance
January 2017 - Antibiotics have long played a key role in treating infections but this role is
threatened by growing resistance to existing antibiotics and the decline in the development
of new drugs hellip The [Generating Antibiotic Incentives Now (GAIN)] provisions created the
[qualified infectious disease products (QIDP)] designation and its associated incentives to
encourage the development of new drugs to treat serious or life-threatening infections
While it is too soon to tell if GAIN has stimulated the development of new drugs GAO was
asked to provide information on FDArsquos efforts to implement GAIN hellip GAO recommends that
FDA clarify the role of draft guidance for and develop written guidance on the QIDP
designation to help drug sponsors better understand the designation and its associated
incentives HHS said it would consider GAOrsquos first recommendation and agreed with the
second GAO believes the first recommendation should also be adopted GAO
US Forbidding forecast for Lyme disease in the
northeast
6 March - hellip [Rick] Keesing and [Felicia] Ostfeld who have
studied Lyme for more than 20 years have come up with an
early warning system for the disease They can predict how
many cases there will be a year in advance by looking at one
key measurement Count the mice the year before The
number of critters scampering around the forest in the
summer correlates to the Lyme cases the following summer theyve reported The
explanation is simple Mice are highly efficient transmitters of Lyme They infect up to 95
percent of ticks that feed on them Mice are responsible for infecting the majority of ticks
carrying Lyme in the Northeast And ticks love mice An individual mouse might have 50
60 even 100 ticks covering its ears and face Ostfeld says So that mouse plague last year
means there is going to be a Lyme plague this year NPR
US Obamacare repeal guts crucial public health funds
8 March - The latest Republican health-care bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act would
eliminate funds for fundamental public health programs including for the prevention of
bioterrorism and disease outbreaks as well as money to provide immunizations and heart-
disease screenings As part of the ACA or Obamacare the Prevention and Public Health
21
Fund provides almost $1 billion annually to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Since 2010 the fund has been an increasingly important source of money for core CDC
programs today accounting for about 12 percent of the CDCrsquos total budget The GOP bill
would eliminate the Prevention and Public Health Fund starting in October of next year No
clear replacement has been proposed The Washington Post
US Patients demand the right to try experimental
drugs but costs can be steep 3 March - In the last three years 33 US states have passed laws aimed at helping dying
people get easier access to experimental treatments that are still in the early stages of
human testing Supporters say these patients are just looking for the right to try these
treatments Such laws sound compassionate but medical ethicists warn they pose
worrisome risks to the health and finances of vulnerable patients hellip Dr R Adams Dudley
director of UCSFs Center for Healthcare Value [says] If we take the FDA out of it how do
we protect people from physicians or drug companies that will want to sell them things and
will want to prey on their desperation hellip Patients could spend huge amounts of money
trying a drug that hasnt been proved to work he says And the patient may also be giving
up their hopes for a controlled peaceful death at home NPR
US Ten million lives saved by 1962 breakthrough study
says 3 March - Nearly 200 million cases of polio measles mumps rubella varicella adenovirus
rabies and hepatitis Amdashand approximately 450000 deaths from these diseasesmdashwere
prevented in the US alone between 1963 and 2015 by vaccination researchers estimate
In 1963 vaccination against these infections became widespread thanks to the
development of a human cell strain that allowed vaccines to be produced safely Globally
the vaccines developed from this strain and its derivatives prevented an estimated 45
billion cases of disease and saved more than 10 million lives Author S Jay Olshansky
professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of Illinois at Chicago School of
Public Health hellip used previously-published data on cases and deaths for each disease in the
US in 1960 before vaccines were available for these diseases Medical Xpress
US US skin disease burden expected to increase 3 March - More than one-fourth of Americans (27) were seen by a physician for skin
disease in 2013 and they averaged 16 skin diseases each researchers found Skin disease
costs at least $75 billion to treat in a single year and is an especially big problem in the 65-
and-older population which tends to get more skin diseases due to lifelong cumulative sun
exposure and increasing susceptibility to bacterial viral and fungal diseases With the
projected increase in the age group 65 years and older in the US population combined
with the increased costs of currently in-use and newly developed dermatologic treatment
options the economic burden of skin disease will continue to grow the investigators
wrote MedPage Today
top of page
22
USPACOM
India India abortion - police find 19 female foetuses
6 March - Police in the western Indian state of Maharashtra have found 19 aborted female
foetuses near a hospital Senior police officials in Sangli district said the remains were
buried with the intention of disposing them The police told the BBC that they found the
foetuses while they were investigating the death of a woman who had undergone an illegal
abortion Activists say the incident proves yet again that female foeticide is rampant in India
despite awareness campaigns The police said that the woman had died in a botched
abortion and they were looking for the foetus near a local hospital when they made the
grisly discovery It appears to be an abortion racket We have arrested the husband of the
woman and have launched a manhunt for the doctor who has gone missing Dattatray
Shinde superintendent of police told the BBC BBC News
India Missing the signals - Indiarsquos anti-vaccination social
media campaign
7 March - India recently launched a one-month campaign to vaccinate over 35 million
9-month to 15-year old children with a measles-rubella vaccine across five states The
campaign marked the start of a two-year initiative aiming to vaccinate over 400 million
children across India ndash part of a larger global effort to eliminate measles and rubella By the
end of the first month of the campaign it became clear that it was struggling to meet its
goal A different kind of campaign was circulating on WhatsApp and Facebook ndash fuelling a
mix of conspiracy theories safety concerns and questioning around why the vaccine and
the campaign were needed Whatrsquos more the rumours were taking hold in the wealthier
southern states with generally the best education and health indicators in the country
The Vaccine Confidence Project
Myanmar Tuberculosis kills 14 in Myanmarrsquos remote
north
9 March - At least 14 people have died from pulmonary tuberculosis in a remote and
impoverished region in Myanmarrsquos north this year according to officials Thursday The
illness characterized by a persistent cough has hit two villages in Lahe Township of the
mountainous Naga region located around 1300 kilometers (800 miles) from Myanmarrsquos
largest city Yangon Maung Kal a lawmaker representing the area told Anadolu Agency on
Thursday that 14 middle-aged people -- including six women -- have succumbed to the
disease over the past two months hellip According to World Health Organization (WHO)
estimates more than 150000 people suffer from tuberculosis in Myanmar which is
currently included in a list of 30 countries recognized as high-burden with the infectious
respiratory disease Anadolu Agency
top of page
23
USSOUTHCOM
Brazil WHO expands vaccination advice as yellow fever
covers southeast Brazil state
7 March - The entire Brazilian state of Espirito Santo is now considered at risk for yellow
fever transmission the World Health Organization says raising concerns the deadly virus
could spread to the nations biggest cities An ongoing yellow fever outbreak has so far
been limited to rural areas hellip [b]ut there are growing concerns the virus could spread to
urban centers like Rio de Janeiro Sao Paulo Belo Horizonte and Vitoria - areas where tens
of millions live Reuters
Ecuador Leads desperate artisans
Spring 2017 - hellip Lead has been used in ceramic glazes for thousands of years for its
beautiful and strong finishmdashbut more importantlymdashbecause it enables the glaze to melt at
a lower temperature facilitating the use of backyard low-fire kilns In La Victoria to get the
lead for these glazes artisans turned to the lead plates from car batteries manually
removing them and melting them down in their kilns This process aerosolized the lead
enabling it to be inhaled by people and distributed across the environment widely
contaminating soil foods objects and homes hellip [Edgar] Neto tells me that environmental
health inspections should be done in La Victoria every three months but there are no police
to enforce the environmental laws Although no one in La Victoria tells stories of fines levied
for crimes against the environment the social structure within the political and artisan
associations here is strong and much of the lead use among artisans has changed hellip While
excessive exposure and acute lead toxicity may have abated leadrsquos potential for health
problems continuesmdashin the form of chronic exposure Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health
top of page
24
US Military | Global | Influenza | VeterinaryFood Safety | Wellness | Contact Us
USAFRICOM | USCENTCOM | USEUCOM | USNORTHCOM | USPACOM | USSOUTHCOM
The Army Public Health Weekly Update does not analyze the information as to its strategic or tactical impact on the US Army and is not a medical
intelligence product Medical intelligence is available from the National Center for Medical Intelligence
External Links The appearance of external hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the US Army of this Web site or the information products
or services contained therein For other than authorized activities such as military exchanges and MWR sites the US Army does not exercise any
editorial control over the information you may find at these locations Such links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of this product
Although we avoid links to sites that may be blocked all sites may not be accessible from all locations While we verify the links at the time of
publication we cannot guarantee that they will be active in the future
Articles appearing in the Update do not necessarily represent US Army Medical Command opinionsviews policy or guidance and should not be
construed or interpreted as being endorsed by the US Army Medical Command
The Army Public Health Weekly Update is published by the Public Health Information Directorate Army Public Health Center
5
CDC Workshops on
Emerging Infectious
Disease
Preparedness
Beginning this month the
Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention and
National Ebola Training amp
Education Center will offer
two free training
workshops on emerging
infectious disease
preparedness for clinicians
health care workers and
public health officials
Details and Registration
challenges however for other researchers in translating the science into specific preventive
measures he said One challenge [is] the ticks relatively long life cycle of two to three years
which makes manipulating and studying ticks more laborious compared with mosquitoes
that live less than two months The Baltimore Sun
New technique uses gold nanoparticles to rapidly detect
Ebola
7 March - Researchers from the University at Albany have developed a test that can detect
the presence of Ebola virus from a urine sample much faster and more cost-effectively than
current methods The technique hellip relies on biomarkers and gold nanoparticles which if
triggered turn the sample red to indicate infection or purple to indicate no infection
Certain biomarkers for Ebola can be found in urine and the gold nanoparticles are
functionalized with DNA receptors that can bind to these Ebola biomarkers and trigger a
chain reaction hellip It is a fairly simple method that allows for visual detection of Ebola in
minutes hellip Overall the team tested 25 urine samples containing four biomarkers associated
with Ebola The method produced accurate results in 24 samples including each of the four
subtypes of Ebola hellip Overall the process takes about four to five hours which compared to
current standard Ebola detection methods that can take several days for results is a vast
improvement Bioscience Technology
NIH-funded study helps explain how zebrafish recover
from blinding injuries
9 March - Researchers hellip have discovered that in zebrafish decreased levels of the
neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) cue the retina the light-sensing tissue
in the back of the eye to produce stem cells The finding sheds light on how the zebrafish
regenerates its retina after injury and informs efforts to restore vision in people who are
blind hellip This work opens up new ideas for therapies for blinding diseases and has
implications for the broader field of regenerative medicine said Tom Greenwell PhD NIH
Pipe-climbing bacteria might spread infection from
hospital sinks
1 March - Bacteria can thrive in p-traps those ldquoU
bendsrdquo below sink drains that collect everything from
errant earrings to lost toothpaste tube caps Thatrsquos a big
problem especially in hospitals where sinks have been
linked to a slew of bacterial outbreaks To determine
exactly how the pathogens spread scientists built a row
of five sinks in a setup similar to that in many hospitals with all of them draining into the
same pipe hellip [S]cientists seeded p-traps with harmless fluorescent bacteria to see where
the microbes traveled hellip [T]he bacteria flourished shimmying up the pipe at a rate of about
25 centimeters per day to contaminate sink drain covers There faucet water splattered the
6
Classified Version of
the Weekly Update
An Army Public Health
Weekly Update is available
with articles classified up to
the SECRET level from the
USAPHC SIPRNet site
httpphcarmysmilmil
Look under Hot Topics amp
Current Issues
To access this version you
will need a SECRET
clearance and a SIPRNet
account
Links
A-Z Index
About APHC
Army Public Health
Weekly Update Archives
Medical Surveillance
Monthly Report
Medical Threat Briefings
(AKO)
Request APHC Services
APHC Resource Materials
APHC Homepage
APHC Training
Contact APHC
bacteria around the sink bowl and countertop Science
Study Half of the studies you read about in the news are
wrong
3 March - hellip A single study is rarely the final answer And yet for science reporters new
studies are irresistible mdash a bold new finding makes a great headline hellip The problem isnrsquot
necessarily that these studies are poorly designed (although some of them may be) The
problem is that each headline gives an incomplete glimpse of how science works One lab
produces a result Another lab mdash ideally mdash tries to replicate that result Rinse and repeat
Eventually someone needs to do a meta-review of the totality of the evidence on the
question to reach a conclusion That meta-review rather than any one study in isolation is
likely to get closer to the true answer Yet as researchers in PLOS One recently found
journalists typically only cover those initial papers mdash and skip over writing about the
clarifying meta-reviews that come later on VOX
Surgery or drugs Doctorsrsquo pay may influence choice
8 March - Sometimes doctors choose to do surgery not because it is absolutely preferable
to other treatments but because they get reimbursed for it a new study suggests
Researchers looked at patients with a narrowed artery in the neck a condition called carotid
artery stenosis that can be treated with surgery or managed with medicine and lifestyle
changes The choice is often a judgment call Some were treated in a fee-for-service system
which pays doctors for every procedure they do Others were treated by doctors on salary at
a military hospital After adjusting for health behavioral and socioeconomic variables they
found that over all patients in the fee-for-service system were 63 percent more likely to
have surgery than those in the salary system The New York Times
The cost of a polluted environment 17 million child
deaths a year says WHO
6 March - More than 1 in 4 deaths of children under 5 years of age are attributable to
unhealthy environments Every year environmental risks ndash such as indoor and outdoor air
pollution second-hand smoke unsafe water lack of sanitation and inadequate hygiene ndash
take the lives of 17 million children under 5 years say two new WHO reports The first
report Inheriting a Sustainable World Atlas on Childrenrsquos Health and the Environment
reveals that a large portion of the most common causes of death among children aged 1
month to 5 years ndash diarrhoea malaria and pneumonia ndash are preventable by interventions
known to reduce environmental risks such as access to safe water and clean cooking fuels
hellip Harmful exposures can start in the motherrsquos womb and increase the risk of premature
birth Additionally when infants and pre-schoolers are exposed to indoor and outdoor air
pollution and second-hand smoke they have an increased risk of pneumonia in childhood
and a lifelong increased risk of chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma WHO
7
VA study highlights benefits of enhanced aspirin in
preventing certain cancers
1 March - Researchers know of aspirinrsquos benefits in preventing certain ailments mdash from
cardiovascular disease to most recently colorectal cancer But while the link to those two
conditions was made researchers also questioned how and if this ldquowonder drugrdquo could
work to ward off other types of cancers hellip [N]ew studies verify their theory of cancer-
prevention benefits based on aspirinrsquos effects on plateletsmdashblood cells that form clots to
stop bleeding hellip ldquoAlong with clotting platelets also play a role in forming new blood
vesselsrdquo Vijayan said ldquoThat action is normally beneficial such as when a new clot forms
after a wound and new vessels are needed to redirect blood flow But the same action can
help tumors grow Itrsquos this process that aspirin can interruptrdquo Aerotech News
Yellow fever mdash once again on the radar screen in the
Americas
8 March - hellip Over the past several weeks a fifth arbovirus yellow fever virus has broken out
in Brazil with the majority of the infections occurring in rural areas of the country These are
referred to as sylvatic or jungle cases since the typical transmission cycle occurs between
forest mosquitoes and forest-dwelling nonhuman primates with humans serving only as
incidental hosts In this ongoing outbreak health authorities have reported 234 confirmed
infections and 80 confirmed deaths as of February 2017 The high number of cases is out
of proportion to the number reported in a typical year in these areas Although there is
currently no evidence that human-to-human transmission through Aedes aegypti
mosquitoes (urban transmission) has occurred the outbreak is affecting areas in close
proximity to major urban centers where yellow fever vaccine is not routinely administered
This proximity raises concern that for the first time in decades urban transmission of yellow
fever will occur in Brazil Although it is highly unlikely that we will see yellow fever
outbreaks in the continental United States where mosquito density is low and risk of
exposure is limited it is possible that travel-related cases of yellow fever could occur with
brief periods of local transmission in warmer regions such as the Gulf Coast states where
A aegypti mosquitoes are prevalent The New England Journal of Medicine
ZIKA VIRUS
Blood donor screening finds 13 Zika rate in Puerto Rico
last year
7 March - In a study that expands on an earlier analysis screening of blood donations in
Puerto Rico last spring and summer found a 13 incidence of Zika virus hellip Assuming a 99-
day duration of viremia (virus in the blood) the investigators extrapolated that 469321
people on the island were infected during that period for an estimated cumulative
8
incidence of 129 (range 110 to 154) They further estimated that 69675 women of
reproductive age were infected in that time span or 97 of the total population of such
women
CIDRAP News Scan (first item)
Zika case counts in the US
Data reported to ArboNET for January 1 2015 ndash March 8 2017 CDC
US States
5109 Zika virus disease cases reported
4813 cases in travelers returning from affected
areas
221 cases acquired through presumed local
mosquito-borne transmission in Florida
(N=215) and Texas (N=6)
75 cases acquired through other routes
including sexual transmission (N=45)
congenital infection (N=28) laboratory
transmission (N=1) and person-to-person
through an unknown route (N=1)
US Territories
38099 Zika virus disease cases reported
147 cases in travelers returning from affected
areas
37952 cases acquired through presumed local
mosquito-borne transmission
0 cases acquired through other routes
Sexually transmitted cases are not reported for
US territories because with local transmission of
Zika virus it is not possible to determine
whether infection occurred due to mosquito-
borne or sexual transmission
top of page
INFLUENZA
APHC US Army Influenza Activity Report
For the week ending 25 February 2017 (Week 8)
Overall influenza activity and positive influenza A samples decreased in Army and civilian
populations
ILI Activity Army ILI (influenza-like illness) outpatient visits in week 8 were 13
higher than the same week last year
Influenza cases Seven hospitalized influenza-associated cases were reported to
APHC through DRSi in week 7 and all were non-AD beneficiaries
Viral specimens During week 8 980 of 2894 (34) lab specimens tested positive for
respiratory pathogens Of 697 influenza A-positive specimens RHC-A reported 402
(577) followed by RHC-C (254 364) RHC-P (25 36) RHC-E (15 22) and
CENTCOM (1 01) APHC
CDC Flu View - Weekly US Influenza Surveillance
Report
During week 8 (February 19-25 2017) influenza activity remained elevated in the United
9
States
Viral Surveillance The most frequently identified influenza virus subtype reported
by public health laboratories during week 8 was influenza A (H3) The percentage of
respiratory specimens testing positive for influenza in clinical laboratories remained
elevated
Pneumonia and Influenza Mortality The proportion of deaths attributed to
pneumonia and influenza (PampI) was above the system-specific epidemic threshold
in the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) Mortality Surveillance System
Influenza-associated Pediatric Deaths Six influenza-associated pediatric deaths
were reported CDC
ECDC Flu News Europe
Week 82017 (20-26 February 2017)
Influenza activity across the region while decreasing remained above levels
observed during the out of season period
The proportion of influenza virus detections among sentinel surveillance specimens
decreased to 33 from 38 in the previous week
The great majority of detected and subtyped influenza viruses were A(H3N2) and
while the proportion of type B viruses increased as commonly seen in the second
half of an influenza season their numbers remained low
The number of hospitalized laboratory-confirmed influenza cases reported
primarily in people aged 65 years or older continued to decrease
European Center for Disease Prevention and ControlWHO
Increase in human infections with avian influenza
A(H7N9) Virus during the fifth epidemic mdash China
October 2016ndashFebruary 2017
10 March - During March 2013ndashFebruary 24 2017 annual epidemics of avian influenza
A(H7N9) in China resulted in 1258 avian influenza A(H7N9) virus infections in humans being
reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) by the National Health and Family
Planning Commission of China and other regional sources During the first four epidemics
88 of patients developed pneumonia 68 were admitted to an intensive care unit and
41 died Candidate vaccine viruses (CVVs) were developed and vaccine was manufactured
based on representative viruses detected after the emergence of A(H7N9) virus in humans
in 2013 During the ongoing fifth epidemic (beginning October 1 2016) 460 human
infections with A(H7N9) virus have been reported hellip Although the clinical characteristics
and risk factors for human infections do not appear to have changed the reported human
infections during the fifth epidemic represent a significant increase compared with the first
four epidemics Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Update
NHRC Febrile Respiratory Illness Surveillance Update
For the week ending 2 January 2016
10
Influenza Fourteen cases of NHRC laboratory-confirmed influenza (AH3) among
US military basic trainees
FRI surveillance at all eight US military basic training centers indicated FRI rates
were elevated at Fort Jackson NRTC Great Lakes MCRD Parris Island Lackland AFB
and CGTC Cape May Naval Health Research Center
USAFSAM amp DHA DoD Global Laboratory-Based
Influenza Surveillance Program
During 12 - 25 February 2017 (Surveillance Weeks 7 amp 8) a total of 570 specimens were
collected from 49 locations Results were finalized for 455 specimens from 44 locations
During Week 7 one influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 144 influenza A(H3N2) and 28 influenza B
viruses were identified During Week 8 three influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 91 influenza
A(H3N2) one influenza A(H3N2) amp Influenza B and 14 influenza B viruses were identified
Approximately 50 of specimens tested positive for influenza during Week 7
Approximately 50 of specimens tested positive for influenza during Week 8 The influenza
percent positive for the season is approximately 35
US Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine amp Defense Health Agency
USDA has $80 million-$90 million to fight bird flu
9 March - The US Department of Agriculture has $80 million to $90 million left over from
the last major outbreak of bird flu to fight any new discoveries of the virus the
departments chief veterinary officer said on Thursday USDA must appeal to Congress if
more money is needed to fight the disease which was recently found in two US states and
also has been confirmed across Asia and in Europe Any potential request for emergency
funding is complicated as US President Donald Trumps choice for the position has not yet
been confirmed by the Senate Reuters
WHO Influenza Update
6 March - Influenza activity in the temperate zone of the northern hemisphere continued to
be elevated in some countries Influenza activity in many countries especially in East Asia
and Europe appeared to have already peaked Worldwide influenza A(H3N2) virus was
predominant The majority of influenza viruses characterized so far were similar antigenically
to the reference viruses contained in vaccines for use in the 2016-2017 northern hemisphere
influenza season Nearly all tested viruses collected recently for antiviral sensitivity were
susceptible to the neuraminidase inhibitor antiviral medications WHO
top of page
11
VETERINARYFOOD SAFETY
2 dead in multi-state Listeria outbreak traced to Vulto
cheese
9 March - Two people are dead and four others are confirmed sick with a strain of Listeria
monocytogenes found in cheese made from unpasteurized raw milk Vulto Creamery is
recalling the cheese from retailers and distributors nationwide Itrsquos been more than five
months since the first outbreak victim became sick on Sept 1 2016 but federal officials said
Jos Vulto owner of the Walton NY cheese operation initiated the recall as soon as he heard
about the ldquocannot rule outrdquo test results on his cheese He began pulling cheese back from
his customers March 3 and posted the public recall Tuesday Since then the Food and Drug
Administration has confirmed Listeria monocytogenes in Vultorsquos finished product hellip The
most recent illness began on Jan 22 Food Safety News
fMRI predicts if Fido is fit for service
7 March - Using functional MRI to identify certain areas of brain activity helped improved
predictions about which dogs were not suitable for service dog training a small study
found hellip [R]esearchers said they used fMRI on 43 service dogs prior to training -- 33 of
which completed training and were matched with a person and 10 of which were released
for behavioral reasons Dogs with a higher level of response in the amygdala an area of the
brain linked with excitability were more likely to fail the service training program This was a
modest improvement over current prediction methods that involve evaluating the dogs
temperament MedPage Today
Four more states report soy nut butter E coli infections
8 March - Four more people from four additional states became infected with Shiga toxin-
producing E coli O157H7 bacteria after consuming a certain brand of soy nut butter and
granola according to the CDC Missouri Virginia Washington and Wisconsin have all
reported individuals becoming ill after consuming IM Healthy Brand SoyNut Butter --
bringing the total affected to 16 Two additional people have been hospitalized with
hemolytic uremic syndrome All five individuals with this type of kidney failure were
children a CDC investigation found MedPage Today
The military kills 8500 pigs and goats every year for
medical training A new bill would end that
4 March - A bipartisan group of lawmakers is trying to stop the Defense Department from
killing about 8500 goats and pigs a year in medical training exercises designed to prepare
troops for combat Rep Hank Johnson D-Ga and Rep Tom Marino R-Pa introduced a bill
on Tuesday that would require the military to use only human-based methods to train
service members to treat injuries sustained on the battlefield and end the use of live tissue
12
training in which troops stab or shoot pigs and goats to simulate the treatment of combat
trauma by Oct 1 2020 Johnson told the Washington Examiner he intends to raise the issue
during debate on the fiscal 2018 National Defense Authorization Act and hopes to use the
must-pass bill as a vehicle to ban live-tissue training He said simulators offer better combat
training than live animals are more humane and are ultimately more cost-effective
Washington Examiner
top of page
WELLNESS
Arthritis afflicts about 1 in 4 adults in the US CDC
report finds
7 March - About one in four adults in the United States suffers from arthritis according to a
new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Vital Signs report published Tuesday Of
the 54 million people in the United States who have this debilitating condition not all are
elderly About 60 percent of those with arthritis were between the ages of 18 and 64 that is
working age Activity limitations from arthritis increased by 20 percent since 2002 the
report found Simple everyday tasks such as walking or lifting bags are challenging for 24
million people affected by the condition in the United States Even though movement is
painful and difficult for people with arthritis the report suggests that increased physical
activity can mitigate arthritis symptoms by 40 percent Despite the proven health benefits of
physical activity for arthritis symptoms about 1 in 3 adults with arthritis in the United States
self-reports being physically inactive The Washington Post
Is dieting passeacute Study finds fewer overweight people try
to lose weight
8 March - An increasing number of overweight Americans have lost the motivation to diet
according to a new study hellip Back in 1990 when researchers asked overweight Americans if
they were trying to lose weight 56 percent said yes But this has changed According to the
latest data just 49 percent say theyre trying This may not seem like a big decline But given
that about 2 out of every 3 Americans are either overweight or obese a decline of 7 percent
means millions more people may have given up on dieting The trend is particularly evident
among black women says study author Jian Zhang an epidemiologist at Georgia Southern
University mdash though the trend is seen across the population hellip Its a big concern study
author Jian Zhang told us Obesity increases the risk of a whole range of diseases and
theres a concern that people who are overweight and obese may be ignoring or
overlooking the risks Not everyone is convinced that the dip in dieting is bad Theres a
possible good news story in this says Janet Tomiyama a psychologist at UCLA who studies
eating behavior and weight stigma hellip Tomiyama says there are signs that the strong anti-fat
13
bias in our culture may be shifting NPR
Poor diet tied to nearly half of US deaths from heart
disease stroke diabetes
7 March - Ensuring that diets include the right amount of certain foods may help the US
cut deaths from heart disease stroke and type 2 diabetes by almost half suggests a new
study About 45 percent of deaths from those causes in 2012 could be blamed on people
eating too much or too little of 10 types of foods researchers found hellip [Renata] Micha and
colleagues identified 10 dietary components closely tied to heart disease stroke and type 2
diabetes sodium fruits vegetables whole grains nuts and seeds unprocessed red meats
processed meats polyunsaturated fats like soybean or corn oils seafood omega-3 fats and
sugar-sweetened beverages Based on participants food diaries the researchers estimated
that 318656 of the 702308 deaths from heart disease stroke or type 2 diabetes were tied
to people getting too much or too little of those 10 foods or dietary factors Reuters
Significant differences among occupational groups found
in short sleep duration
7 March - According to a new study published in the CDCrsquos Morbidity and Mortality Weekly
Report there are big differences in the amount of sleep people get depending on their
occupation ldquoWe found that overall prevalence of short sleep duration was 365 percent
among the working adults who responded to the survey ndash but sleep duration varied widely
by occupationrdquo said study author Taylor Shockey MPH of CDCrsquos National Institute for
Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) ldquoWorkers in occupations where alternative
shiftwork is common such as production health care and some transportation jobs were
more likely to have a higher adjusted prevalence of short sleep duration Workers in other
occupation groups such as teachers farmers or pilots were the most likely to report
getting enough sleeprdquo Among the 22 major occupational groups that were researched the
prevalence of short sleep duration ranged from 429 percent for production workers to 313
percent among workers in the farming fishing and forestry occupation group as well as the
education training and library occupation group Other groups that were found to have a
high percentage of short sleep durations include health care support health care
practitioners and technical food preparation and serving-related and protective service
Occupational Health amp Safety
The grateful life may be a longer one
7 March - Can a positive attitude save your life Therersquos not conclusive evidence but hints
are tantalizing enough that researchers hellip are trying to find out ldquoA lot of the long-term
research says if yoursquore an optimist yoursquore more likely to have better healthrdquo says Jeff
Huffman ldquoLetrsquos say yoursquore not an optimist mdash can we turn you into one Can we promote
that and teach that in a durable way [And] will it really work [to improve health] Itrsquos a big
and open questionrdquo The Cardiac Psychiatry Research Program combines exercises designed
to promote positive psychology in cardiac and diabetes patients with techniques known to
14
change behavior such as goal-setting to encourage patients to adhere to medication
regimens improve their diets and become more active The best chance for a positive
outlook to affect health is by promoting exercise Huffman says Harvard Gazette
Warm-ups cool-downs what works what doesnrsquot
8 March - hellip [S]cientists hellip decided to systematically
examine the effects of some of the worldrsquos best-known
warm-up programs the FIFA 11 and its recent update the
FIFA 11+ hellip [T]he original FIFA 11 warm-up is light and
quick lasting about 10 minutes and involving various
kinds of jumping shuffling and balancing exercises The
updated FIFA 11+ is more intense requiring repeated sprints and exercises such as squats
leg lifts and vertical leaps hellip [T]he new study systematically pooled data from the best
earlier studies Those boys girls men and women who regularly completed the FIFA 11+
warm-up before training or games were about 40 percent less likely to sustain knee ankle
hamstring and hip or groin injuries during the season than athletes who warmed up in
other ways Interestingly the easier FIFA 11 warm-up did not substantially reduce the
incidence of subsequent injuries The New York Times
top of page
USAFRICOM
Somalia says 110 dead in last 48 hours due to drought
4 March - Some 110 people have died in southern Somalia in the last two days from famine
and diarrhea resulting from a drought the prime minister said on Saturday as the area
braces itself for widespread shortages of food In February United Nations childrens agency
UNICEF said the drought in Somalia could lead to up to 270000 children suffering from
severe acute malnutrition this year It is a difficult situation for the pastoralists and their
livestock Some people have been hit by famine and diarrhea at the same time In the last
48 hours 110 people died due to famine and diarrhea in Bay region Prime Minister Hassan
Ali Khaires office said in a statement Reuters
South Sudan South Sudan will now charge $10000 for
an aid worker permit Why
7 March - Late last month famine was declared in two counties of the civil-war torn East
African country of South Sudan With 100000 people at risk for dying of starvation in that
area alone and millions more on the brink of crisis-level food shortages throughout the
country South Sudanese President Salva Kiir promised unimpeded access to humanitarian
aid organizations working there A few days later the South Sudanese government hiked the
15
fee for work permits for foreign aid workers from $100 to $10000 Its unclear whether the
fee would apply only to newcomers or to those already there as well Whatever the case the
amount is absolutely unheard of globally said Julien Schopp director for Humanitarian
Practice at InterAction an alliance of 180 nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) working
around the world No organization can afford this and if NGOs go to their institutional
donors to request that extra money Im pretty sure that [the donors] will be reluctant to pay
this because they will see this to some extent as ransom NPR
top of page
USCENTCOM
Afghanistan Afghan fighting pressures hospitals clinics
- childrens rights group
6 March - Hospitals and clinics in Afghanistan have increasingly been targeted by armed
groups over the past two years weakening an already degraded health system a childrens
rights group said in a report issued on Monday Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict
said attacks had further restricted or even blocked medical care in a country where almost a
third of the population of more than 30 million lacks access to basic health services Armed
groups had forced temporary or permanent closure of medical facilities damaged or
destroyed medical facilities looted medical supplies stolen ambulances threatened
intimidated extorted or detained medical personnel and occupied medical facilities for
military purposes it said The report hellip said there were 119 conflict-related incidents
targeting medical facilities and personnel last year quoting a figure from the United
Nations Mission in Afghanistan Reuters
Afghanistan ISIS militants disguised as doctors kill 38 in
Kabul hospital attack
8 March - Islamic State has claimed responsibility for an attack on a Kabul military hospital
by gunmen disguised as doctors who breached the facility and battled security forces for
hours More than 30 people died and dozens more were injured the Afghan defence
ministry said The attack began with a suicide bombing at the rear of the hospital complex
in the Afghan capital Officials said at least three gunmen dressed as medical staff then
entered the 400-bed Sardar Mohammad Daud Khan facility and took up positions on the
upper floors A second explosion was heard as Afghan special forces engaged the gunmen
and ldquoheavy fightingrdquo ensued a defence ministry spokesman said The Guardian
Iraq ISIS allegedly used chemical weapons in Mosul
battle injuring civilians
6 March - ISIS militants used chemical weapons during the battle for the city of Mosul last
16
week injuring a number of civilians according to a senior Iraqi security official The officials
assessment comes after the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) issued a
statement last week saying that their workers had treated patients from Mosul who were
suffering from symptoms consistent with exposure to a toxic chemical agent Over a
number of days last week the ICRC said it treated 15 such patients hellip It was certainly [the
result of] a toxic chemical agent because their symptoms were absolutely clear People had
blisters they vomited They had irritation in the eyes and coughed she added The World
Health Organization said in a statement that hellip the use of chemical weapons is a war
crime Both the WHO and ICRC said that the patients symptoms were consistent with
exposure to a blistering agent NBC News
Syria Syrian children suffer staggering levels of trauma
and distress ndash report
6 March - A Save the Children study says Syriarsquos mental
health crisis has reached a tipping point and that severe
distress among children could cause life-long damage
The report says 58 million of children in Syria are in need
of aid Children in Syria are suffering from ldquotoxic stressrdquo a
severe form of psychological trauma that can cause life-
long damage according to a study that charts a rise in self-harm and suicide attempts
among children as young as 12 hellip More than 70 of children interviewed experienced
common symptoms of ldquotoxic stressrdquo or post-traumatic stress disorder such as bedwetting
the study found Loss of speech aggression and substance abuse are also commonplace
About 48 of adults reported seeing children who have lost the ability to speak or who
have developed speech impediments since the war began hellip The majority of children
interviewed showed signs of ldquosevere emotional stressrdquo and 78 of them felt grief and
extreme sadness some of the time The Guardian
top of page
USEUCOM
EuropeUS Mutual Recognition promises new
framework for pharmaceutical inspections for United
States and European Union
2 March - The United States and the European Union (EU) completed an exchange of letters
to amend the Pharmaceutical Annex to the 1998 US-EU Mutual Recognition Agreement
Under this agreement US and EU regulators will be able to utilize each otherrsquos good
manufacturing practice inspections of pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities The
17
amended agreement represents the culmination of nearly three years of US Food and Drug
Administration and EU cooperation as part of the Mutual Reliance Initiative and will allow
the FDA and EU drug inspectors to rely upon information from drug inspections conducted
within each otherrsquos borders Ultimately this will enable the FDA and EU to avoid the
duplication of drug inspections lower inspection costs and enable regulators to devote
more resources to other parts of the world where there may be greater risk FDA
Israel marijuana Users to face fine rather than criminal
charge
5 March - The Israeli government has taken steps to reduce the penalties for personal
marijuana use It backed plans to issue fines initially and only resort to criminal charges for
repeat offenders Selling buying and producing the drug will remain illegal and the move
must still be ratified by parliament According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime almost
9 of Israelis use cannabis though some experts believe the figure to be higher The move
follows recommendations by a committee set up to study the issue and moves by a
number of US states and European nations to decriminalise use of the drug BBC News
Romania Measles outbreak in Romania - ECDC assesses
the risk of spread to and sustained transmission in
EUEEA countries
7 March - An outbreak of measles is ongoing in Romania From the end of September 2016
to 17 February 2017 the Romanian National Institute of Public Health received reports of
3071 cases of measles Cases continue to be reported despite ongoing response measures
at national level through reinforced vaccination activities hellip Considering the size and
geographical spread of the ongoing measles outbreak in Romania the likelihood of
exportation of measles cases is high Between 1 February 2016 and 31 January 2017 ECDC
received reports of 4484 cases of measles from 30 EUEEA countries hellip Given that the
vaccination coverage target [of 95] is still to be reached in a number of EUEEA countries
the risk of spread and sustained transmission from areas where measles transmission is
occurring in areas with susceptible populations is high Eurosurveillance
Romania Romanias healthcare exodus
9 March - hellip Romania has bled out tens of thousands of doctors nurses dentists and
pharmacists since joining the European Union a decade ago lured abroad by what the
country lacks significantly higher pay modern infrastructure and functional healthcare
systems France Germany and Britain are among the most popular destinations The
consequences are dire Romania is one of the EU states with the fewest doctors Nearly a
third of hospital positions are vacant and the health ministry estimates one in four
Romanians has insufficient access to essential healthcare hellip This despite the fact that
Romania is a leading EU state when it comes to the number of medical graduates Reuters
18
Switzerland Measles outbreaks continue to plague
Switzerland
28 February - Switzerland is on track to see the most cases of measles in years in 2017
Vaccinations are on the rise but the government recently admitted its eradication strategy
has failed In 1987 the Federal Health Office announced a vaccination strategy that it hoped
would eradicate measles by the year 2000 Seventeen years after that deadline the
vaccination rate lies at 87 below the 95 that the World Health Organization deems a
target for eradication Daniel Koch head of the infectious disease unit at the Federal Health
Office told swissinfoch that ldquothe number of people who are vaccinated has been
consistently rising but wersquore not yet where we want to berdquo Over the past several decades
Switzerland has had significant outbreaks roughly every four years In a long-term outbreak
between 2006 and 2009 Switzerland reached the highest measles rate in Europe with 4371
registered cases SWI
United Kingdom Nestleacute to remove 10 of sugar from all
snacks in UK and Ireland by 2018
7 March - Nestleacute one of the worldrsquos biggest chocolate manufacturers will take 10 of the
sugar out of its confectionery in the UK and Ireland by 2018 The corporation says the cut is
from the levels existing in its sugary products in 2015 and will amount to about 7500
tonnes The announcement follows public concern over the quantity of sugar in the
countryrsquos diet and its contribution to rising obesity levels The threat of a sugar levy on soft
drinks has encouraged the reformulation of Irn Bru and Lucozade which will escape the tax
although there have been no such moves by PepsiCo or Coca-Cola hellip Nestleacute says it will not
use artificial sweeteners in its confectionery Instead it plans to replace sugar with higher
quantities of existing ingredients or other non-artificial ingredients and ensuring products
are below a certain amount of calories The Guardian
top of page
USNORTHCOM
Canada Dallaire testifies mefloquine drug impaired
thought process in Rwanda
7 March - The Canadian army officer who led the UN peacekeeping mission during the
Rwandan genocide says the antimalarial drug mefloquine affected his thought processes
during his deployment but the military refused to let him stop taking it Romeacuteo Dallaire the
human rights activist retired lieutenant-general and former senator who speaks openly
about his struggles with post-traumatic stress syndrome told the Commons veterans affairs
19
committee this week that mefloquine interferes with the ability to make quick decisions in
military theatres hellip Soldiers who were given mefloquine in Somalia in the early 1990s as
part of a poorly administered ndash and possibly illegal ndash clinical trial run by the Department of
National Defence have told the veterans affairs committee that the medication caused
lasting brain damage hellip Health Canada began in December to review available information
about any causal link between the use of mefloquine and persistent neurological or
psychiatric adverse events their frequency and severity and whether any particular segment
of the population is at increased risk The Globe and Mail
US CDC wants better data to manage global
communicable diseases
6 March - To better understand how diseases travel with international airline passengers
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is seeking advanced global aviation
intelligence data and analytical tools to enhance the agencyrsquos ability to analyze global
aviation patterns In a request for proposals posted Feb 16 the CDC said it needs more
advanced data and tools because air travel has become an increasingly common conduit for
the spread of disease ldquoThe need is immediate and ongoing for a single secure and web-
based global aviation database and analytical application to support analysis of aviation
global capacity and domestic and international passenger traffic (historical and future)rdquo the
RFP said GCN
US EPA chief unconvinced on CO2 link to global
warming
9 March - The new head of the Environmental Protection Agency said on Thursday he is not
convinced that carbon dioxide from human activity is the main driver of climate change and
said he wants Congress to weigh in on whether CO2 is a harmful pollutant that should be
regulated In an interview with CNBC EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt said the Trump
administration will make an announcement on fuel efficiency standards for cars very soon
stressing that he and President Donald Trump believe current standards were rushed
through Pruitt 48 is a climate change denier who sued the agency he now leads more than
a dozen times as Oklahomas attorney general He said he was not convinced that carbon
dioxide pollution from burning fossil fuels like oil gas and coal is the main cause of climate
change a conclusion widely embraced by scientists Reuters
US EPA environmental justice leader resigns amid
White House plans to dismantle program
9 March - A key environmental justice leader at the Environmental Protection Agency has
resigned saying that a recent budget proposal to defund such work would harm the people
who most rely on the EPA Mustafa Ali a senior advisor and assistant associate
administrator for environmental justice has served more than two decades at the agency
working to ease the burden of air and water pollution in hundreds of poor minority
20
communities nationwide He helped found the EPArsquos environmental justice office during the
early 1990s and became a key adviser to agency administrators under Republican and
Democratic presidents hellip [T]he White House is seeking to close the agencyrsquos Office of
Environmental Justice hellip [T]he new administration hellip ldquoassumes any future EJ specific policy
work can be transferred to the Office of Policyrdquo The Washington Post
US FDA has encouraged development but needs to
clarify the role of draft guidance and develop qualified
infectious disease product guidance
January 2017 - Antibiotics have long played a key role in treating infections but this role is
threatened by growing resistance to existing antibiotics and the decline in the development
of new drugs hellip The [Generating Antibiotic Incentives Now (GAIN)] provisions created the
[qualified infectious disease products (QIDP)] designation and its associated incentives to
encourage the development of new drugs to treat serious or life-threatening infections
While it is too soon to tell if GAIN has stimulated the development of new drugs GAO was
asked to provide information on FDArsquos efforts to implement GAIN hellip GAO recommends that
FDA clarify the role of draft guidance for and develop written guidance on the QIDP
designation to help drug sponsors better understand the designation and its associated
incentives HHS said it would consider GAOrsquos first recommendation and agreed with the
second GAO believes the first recommendation should also be adopted GAO
US Forbidding forecast for Lyme disease in the
northeast
6 March - hellip [Rick] Keesing and [Felicia] Ostfeld who have
studied Lyme for more than 20 years have come up with an
early warning system for the disease They can predict how
many cases there will be a year in advance by looking at one
key measurement Count the mice the year before The
number of critters scampering around the forest in the
summer correlates to the Lyme cases the following summer theyve reported The
explanation is simple Mice are highly efficient transmitters of Lyme They infect up to 95
percent of ticks that feed on them Mice are responsible for infecting the majority of ticks
carrying Lyme in the Northeast And ticks love mice An individual mouse might have 50
60 even 100 ticks covering its ears and face Ostfeld says So that mouse plague last year
means there is going to be a Lyme plague this year NPR
US Obamacare repeal guts crucial public health funds
8 March - The latest Republican health-care bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act would
eliminate funds for fundamental public health programs including for the prevention of
bioterrorism and disease outbreaks as well as money to provide immunizations and heart-
disease screenings As part of the ACA or Obamacare the Prevention and Public Health
21
Fund provides almost $1 billion annually to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Since 2010 the fund has been an increasingly important source of money for core CDC
programs today accounting for about 12 percent of the CDCrsquos total budget The GOP bill
would eliminate the Prevention and Public Health Fund starting in October of next year No
clear replacement has been proposed The Washington Post
US Patients demand the right to try experimental
drugs but costs can be steep 3 March - In the last three years 33 US states have passed laws aimed at helping dying
people get easier access to experimental treatments that are still in the early stages of
human testing Supporters say these patients are just looking for the right to try these
treatments Such laws sound compassionate but medical ethicists warn they pose
worrisome risks to the health and finances of vulnerable patients hellip Dr R Adams Dudley
director of UCSFs Center for Healthcare Value [says] If we take the FDA out of it how do
we protect people from physicians or drug companies that will want to sell them things and
will want to prey on their desperation hellip Patients could spend huge amounts of money
trying a drug that hasnt been proved to work he says And the patient may also be giving
up their hopes for a controlled peaceful death at home NPR
US Ten million lives saved by 1962 breakthrough study
says 3 March - Nearly 200 million cases of polio measles mumps rubella varicella adenovirus
rabies and hepatitis Amdashand approximately 450000 deaths from these diseasesmdashwere
prevented in the US alone between 1963 and 2015 by vaccination researchers estimate
In 1963 vaccination against these infections became widespread thanks to the
development of a human cell strain that allowed vaccines to be produced safely Globally
the vaccines developed from this strain and its derivatives prevented an estimated 45
billion cases of disease and saved more than 10 million lives Author S Jay Olshansky
professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of Illinois at Chicago School of
Public Health hellip used previously-published data on cases and deaths for each disease in the
US in 1960 before vaccines were available for these diseases Medical Xpress
US US skin disease burden expected to increase 3 March - More than one-fourth of Americans (27) were seen by a physician for skin
disease in 2013 and they averaged 16 skin diseases each researchers found Skin disease
costs at least $75 billion to treat in a single year and is an especially big problem in the 65-
and-older population which tends to get more skin diseases due to lifelong cumulative sun
exposure and increasing susceptibility to bacterial viral and fungal diseases With the
projected increase in the age group 65 years and older in the US population combined
with the increased costs of currently in-use and newly developed dermatologic treatment
options the economic burden of skin disease will continue to grow the investigators
wrote MedPage Today
top of page
22
USPACOM
India India abortion - police find 19 female foetuses
6 March - Police in the western Indian state of Maharashtra have found 19 aborted female
foetuses near a hospital Senior police officials in Sangli district said the remains were
buried with the intention of disposing them The police told the BBC that they found the
foetuses while they were investigating the death of a woman who had undergone an illegal
abortion Activists say the incident proves yet again that female foeticide is rampant in India
despite awareness campaigns The police said that the woman had died in a botched
abortion and they were looking for the foetus near a local hospital when they made the
grisly discovery It appears to be an abortion racket We have arrested the husband of the
woman and have launched a manhunt for the doctor who has gone missing Dattatray
Shinde superintendent of police told the BBC BBC News
India Missing the signals - Indiarsquos anti-vaccination social
media campaign
7 March - India recently launched a one-month campaign to vaccinate over 35 million
9-month to 15-year old children with a measles-rubella vaccine across five states The
campaign marked the start of a two-year initiative aiming to vaccinate over 400 million
children across India ndash part of a larger global effort to eliminate measles and rubella By the
end of the first month of the campaign it became clear that it was struggling to meet its
goal A different kind of campaign was circulating on WhatsApp and Facebook ndash fuelling a
mix of conspiracy theories safety concerns and questioning around why the vaccine and
the campaign were needed Whatrsquos more the rumours were taking hold in the wealthier
southern states with generally the best education and health indicators in the country
The Vaccine Confidence Project
Myanmar Tuberculosis kills 14 in Myanmarrsquos remote
north
9 March - At least 14 people have died from pulmonary tuberculosis in a remote and
impoverished region in Myanmarrsquos north this year according to officials Thursday The
illness characterized by a persistent cough has hit two villages in Lahe Township of the
mountainous Naga region located around 1300 kilometers (800 miles) from Myanmarrsquos
largest city Yangon Maung Kal a lawmaker representing the area told Anadolu Agency on
Thursday that 14 middle-aged people -- including six women -- have succumbed to the
disease over the past two months hellip According to World Health Organization (WHO)
estimates more than 150000 people suffer from tuberculosis in Myanmar which is
currently included in a list of 30 countries recognized as high-burden with the infectious
respiratory disease Anadolu Agency
top of page
23
USSOUTHCOM
Brazil WHO expands vaccination advice as yellow fever
covers southeast Brazil state
7 March - The entire Brazilian state of Espirito Santo is now considered at risk for yellow
fever transmission the World Health Organization says raising concerns the deadly virus
could spread to the nations biggest cities An ongoing yellow fever outbreak has so far
been limited to rural areas hellip [b]ut there are growing concerns the virus could spread to
urban centers like Rio de Janeiro Sao Paulo Belo Horizonte and Vitoria - areas where tens
of millions live Reuters
Ecuador Leads desperate artisans
Spring 2017 - hellip Lead has been used in ceramic glazes for thousands of years for its
beautiful and strong finishmdashbut more importantlymdashbecause it enables the glaze to melt at
a lower temperature facilitating the use of backyard low-fire kilns In La Victoria to get the
lead for these glazes artisans turned to the lead plates from car batteries manually
removing them and melting them down in their kilns This process aerosolized the lead
enabling it to be inhaled by people and distributed across the environment widely
contaminating soil foods objects and homes hellip [Edgar] Neto tells me that environmental
health inspections should be done in La Victoria every three months but there are no police
to enforce the environmental laws Although no one in La Victoria tells stories of fines levied
for crimes against the environment the social structure within the political and artisan
associations here is strong and much of the lead use among artisans has changed hellip While
excessive exposure and acute lead toxicity may have abated leadrsquos potential for health
problems continuesmdashin the form of chronic exposure Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health
top of page
24
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USAFRICOM | USCENTCOM | USEUCOM | USNORTHCOM | USPACOM | USSOUTHCOM
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intelligence product Medical intelligence is available from the National Center for Medical Intelligence
External Links The appearance of external hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the US Army of this Web site or the information products
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Articles appearing in the Update do not necessarily represent US Army Medical Command opinionsviews policy or guidance and should not be
construed or interpreted as being endorsed by the US Army Medical Command
The Army Public Health Weekly Update is published by the Public Health Information Directorate Army Public Health Center
6
Classified Version of
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An Army Public Health
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bacteria around the sink bowl and countertop Science
Study Half of the studies you read about in the news are
wrong
3 March - hellip A single study is rarely the final answer And yet for science reporters new
studies are irresistible mdash a bold new finding makes a great headline hellip The problem isnrsquot
necessarily that these studies are poorly designed (although some of them may be) The
problem is that each headline gives an incomplete glimpse of how science works One lab
produces a result Another lab mdash ideally mdash tries to replicate that result Rinse and repeat
Eventually someone needs to do a meta-review of the totality of the evidence on the
question to reach a conclusion That meta-review rather than any one study in isolation is
likely to get closer to the true answer Yet as researchers in PLOS One recently found
journalists typically only cover those initial papers mdash and skip over writing about the
clarifying meta-reviews that come later on VOX
Surgery or drugs Doctorsrsquo pay may influence choice
8 March - Sometimes doctors choose to do surgery not because it is absolutely preferable
to other treatments but because they get reimbursed for it a new study suggests
Researchers looked at patients with a narrowed artery in the neck a condition called carotid
artery stenosis that can be treated with surgery or managed with medicine and lifestyle
changes The choice is often a judgment call Some were treated in a fee-for-service system
which pays doctors for every procedure they do Others were treated by doctors on salary at
a military hospital After adjusting for health behavioral and socioeconomic variables they
found that over all patients in the fee-for-service system were 63 percent more likely to
have surgery than those in the salary system The New York Times
The cost of a polluted environment 17 million child
deaths a year says WHO
6 March - More than 1 in 4 deaths of children under 5 years of age are attributable to
unhealthy environments Every year environmental risks ndash such as indoor and outdoor air
pollution second-hand smoke unsafe water lack of sanitation and inadequate hygiene ndash
take the lives of 17 million children under 5 years say two new WHO reports The first
report Inheriting a Sustainable World Atlas on Childrenrsquos Health and the Environment
reveals that a large portion of the most common causes of death among children aged 1
month to 5 years ndash diarrhoea malaria and pneumonia ndash are preventable by interventions
known to reduce environmental risks such as access to safe water and clean cooking fuels
hellip Harmful exposures can start in the motherrsquos womb and increase the risk of premature
birth Additionally when infants and pre-schoolers are exposed to indoor and outdoor air
pollution and second-hand smoke they have an increased risk of pneumonia in childhood
and a lifelong increased risk of chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma WHO
7
VA study highlights benefits of enhanced aspirin in
preventing certain cancers
1 March - Researchers know of aspirinrsquos benefits in preventing certain ailments mdash from
cardiovascular disease to most recently colorectal cancer But while the link to those two
conditions was made researchers also questioned how and if this ldquowonder drugrdquo could
work to ward off other types of cancers hellip [N]ew studies verify their theory of cancer-
prevention benefits based on aspirinrsquos effects on plateletsmdashblood cells that form clots to
stop bleeding hellip ldquoAlong with clotting platelets also play a role in forming new blood
vesselsrdquo Vijayan said ldquoThat action is normally beneficial such as when a new clot forms
after a wound and new vessels are needed to redirect blood flow But the same action can
help tumors grow Itrsquos this process that aspirin can interruptrdquo Aerotech News
Yellow fever mdash once again on the radar screen in the
Americas
8 March - hellip Over the past several weeks a fifth arbovirus yellow fever virus has broken out
in Brazil with the majority of the infections occurring in rural areas of the country These are
referred to as sylvatic or jungle cases since the typical transmission cycle occurs between
forest mosquitoes and forest-dwelling nonhuman primates with humans serving only as
incidental hosts In this ongoing outbreak health authorities have reported 234 confirmed
infections and 80 confirmed deaths as of February 2017 The high number of cases is out
of proportion to the number reported in a typical year in these areas Although there is
currently no evidence that human-to-human transmission through Aedes aegypti
mosquitoes (urban transmission) has occurred the outbreak is affecting areas in close
proximity to major urban centers where yellow fever vaccine is not routinely administered
This proximity raises concern that for the first time in decades urban transmission of yellow
fever will occur in Brazil Although it is highly unlikely that we will see yellow fever
outbreaks in the continental United States where mosquito density is low and risk of
exposure is limited it is possible that travel-related cases of yellow fever could occur with
brief periods of local transmission in warmer regions such as the Gulf Coast states where
A aegypti mosquitoes are prevalent The New England Journal of Medicine
ZIKA VIRUS
Blood donor screening finds 13 Zika rate in Puerto Rico
last year
7 March - In a study that expands on an earlier analysis screening of blood donations in
Puerto Rico last spring and summer found a 13 incidence of Zika virus hellip Assuming a 99-
day duration of viremia (virus in the blood) the investigators extrapolated that 469321
people on the island were infected during that period for an estimated cumulative
8
incidence of 129 (range 110 to 154) They further estimated that 69675 women of
reproductive age were infected in that time span or 97 of the total population of such
women
CIDRAP News Scan (first item)
Zika case counts in the US
Data reported to ArboNET for January 1 2015 ndash March 8 2017 CDC
US States
5109 Zika virus disease cases reported
4813 cases in travelers returning from affected
areas
221 cases acquired through presumed local
mosquito-borne transmission in Florida
(N=215) and Texas (N=6)
75 cases acquired through other routes
including sexual transmission (N=45)
congenital infection (N=28) laboratory
transmission (N=1) and person-to-person
through an unknown route (N=1)
US Territories
38099 Zika virus disease cases reported
147 cases in travelers returning from affected
areas
37952 cases acquired through presumed local
mosquito-borne transmission
0 cases acquired through other routes
Sexually transmitted cases are not reported for
US territories because with local transmission of
Zika virus it is not possible to determine
whether infection occurred due to mosquito-
borne or sexual transmission
top of page
INFLUENZA
APHC US Army Influenza Activity Report
For the week ending 25 February 2017 (Week 8)
Overall influenza activity and positive influenza A samples decreased in Army and civilian
populations
ILI Activity Army ILI (influenza-like illness) outpatient visits in week 8 were 13
higher than the same week last year
Influenza cases Seven hospitalized influenza-associated cases were reported to
APHC through DRSi in week 7 and all were non-AD beneficiaries
Viral specimens During week 8 980 of 2894 (34) lab specimens tested positive for
respiratory pathogens Of 697 influenza A-positive specimens RHC-A reported 402
(577) followed by RHC-C (254 364) RHC-P (25 36) RHC-E (15 22) and
CENTCOM (1 01) APHC
CDC Flu View - Weekly US Influenza Surveillance
Report
During week 8 (February 19-25 2017) influenza activity remained elevated in the United
9
States
Viral Surveillance The most frequently identified influenza virus subtype reported
by public health laboratories during week 8 was influenza A (H3) The percentage of
respiratory specimens testing positive for influenza in clinical laboratories remained
elevated
Pneumonia and Influenza Mortality The proportion of deaths attributed to
pneumonia and influenza (PampI) was above the system-specific epidemic threshold
in the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) Mortality Surveillance System
Influenza-associated Pediatric Deaths Six influenza-associated pediatric deaths
were reported CDC
ECDC Flu News Europe
Week 82017 (20-26 February 2017)
Influenza activity across the region while decreasing remained above levels
observed during the out of season period
The proportion of influenza virus detections among sentinel surveillance specimens
decreased to 33 from 38 in the previous week
The great majority of detected and subtyped influenza viruses were A(H3N2) and
while the proportion of type B viruses increased as commonly seen in the second
half of an influenza season their numbers remained low
The number of hospitalized laboratory-confirmed influenza cases reported
primarily in people aged 65 years or older continued to decrease
European Center for Disease Prevention and ControlWHO
Increase in human infections with avian influenza
A(H7N9) Virus during the fifth epidemic mdash China
October 2016ndashFebruary 2017
10 March - During March 2013ndashFebruary 24 2017 annual epidemics of avian influenza
A(H7N9) in China resulted in 1258 avian influenza A(H7N9) virus infections in humans being
reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) by the National Health and Family
Planning Commission of China and other regional sources During the first four epidemics
88 of patients developed pneumonia 68 were admitted to an intensive care unit and
41 died Candidate vaccine viruses (CVVs) were developed and vaccine was manufactured
based on representative viruses detected after the emergence of A(H7N9) virus in humans
in 2013 During the ongoing fifth epidemic (beginning October 1 2016) 460 human
infections with A(H7N9) virus have been reported hellip Although the clinical characteristics
and risk factors for human infections do not appear to have changed the reported human
infections during the fifth epidemic represent a significant increase compared with the first
four epidemics Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Update
NHRC Febrile Respiratory Illness Surveillance Update
For the week ending 2 January 2016
10
Influenza Fourteen cases of NHRC laboratory-confirmed influenza (AH3) among
US military basic trainees
FRI surveillance at all eight US military basic training centers indicated FRI rates
were elevated at Fort Jackson NRTC Great Lakes MCRD Parris Island Lackland AFB
and CGTC Cape May Naval Health Research Center
USAFSAM amp DHA DoD Global Laboratory-Based
Influenza Surveillance Program
During 12 - 25 February 2017 (Surveillance Weeks 7 amp 8) a total of 570 specimens were
collected from 49 locations Results were finalized for 455 specimens from 44 locations
During Week 7 one influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 144 influenza A(H3N2) and 28 influenza B
viruses were identified During Week 8 three influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 91 influenza
A(H3N2) one influenza A(H3N2) amp Influenza B and 14 influenza B viruses were identified
Approximately 50 of specimens tested positive for influenza during Week 7
Approximately 50 of specimens tested positive for influenza during Week 8 The influenza
percent positive for the season is approximately 35
US Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine amp Defense Health Agency
USDA has $80 million-$90 million to fight bird flu
9 March - The US Department of Agriculture has $80 million to $90 million left over from
the last major outbreak of bird flu to fight any new discoveries of the virus the
departments chief veterinary officer said on Thursday USDA must appeal to Congress if
more money is needed to fight the disease which was recently found in two US states and
also has been confirmed across Asia and in Europe Any potential request for emergency
funding is complicated as US President Donald Trumps choice for the position has not yet
been confirmed by the Senate Reuters
WHO Influenza Update
6 March - Influenza activity in the temperate zone of the northern hemisphere continued to
be elevated in some countries Influenza activity in many countries especially in East Asia
and Europe appeared to have already peaked Worldwide influenza A(H3N2) virus was
predominant The majority of influenza viruses characterized so far were similar antigenically
to the reference viruses contained in vaccines for use in the 2016-2017 northern hemisphere
influenza season Nearly all tested viruses collected recently for antiviral sensitivity were
susceptible to the neuraminidase inhibitor antiviral medications WHO
top of page
11
VETERINARYFOOD SAFETY
2 dead in multi-state Listeria outbreak traced to Vulto
cheese
9 March - Two people are dead and four others are confirmed sick with a strain of Listeria
monocytogenes found in cheese made from unpasteurized raw milk Vulto Creamery is
recalling the cheese from retailers and distributors nationwide Itrsquos been more than five
months since the first outbreak victim became sick on Sept 1 2016 but federal officials said
Jos Vulto owner of the Walton NY cheese operation initiated the recall as soon as he heard
about the ldquocannot rule outrdquo test results on his cheese He began pulling cheese back from
his customers March 3 and posted the public recall Tuesday Since then the Food and Drug
Administration has confirmed Listeria monocytogenes in Vultorsquos finished product hellip The
most recent illness began on Jan 22 Food Safety News
fMRI predicts if Fido is fit for service
7 March - Using functional MRI to identify certain areas of brain activity helped improved
predictions about which dogs were not suitable for service dog training a small study
found hellip [R]esearchers said they used fMRI on 43 service dogs prior to training -- 33 of
which completed training and were matched with a person and 10 of which were released
for behavioral reasons Dogs with a higher level of response in the amygdala an area of the
brain linked with excitability were more likely to fail the service training program This was a
modest improvement over current prediction methods that involve evaluating the dogs
temperament MedPage Today
Four more states report soy nut butter E coli infections
8 March - Four more people from four additional states became infected with Shiga toxin-
producing E coli O157H7 bacteria after consuming a certain brand of soy nut butter and
granola according to the CDC Missouri Virginia Washington and Wisconsin have all
reported individuals becoming ill after consuming IM Healthy Brand SoyNut Butter --
bringing the total affected to 16 Two additional people have been hospitalized with
hemolytic uremic syndrome All five individuals with this type of kidney failure were
children a CDC investigation found MedPage Today
The military kills 8500 pigs and goats every year for
medical training A new bill would end that
4 March - A bipartisan group of lawmakers is trying to stop the Defense Department from
killing about 8500 goats and pigs a year in medical training exercises designed to prepare
troops for combat Rep Hank Johnson D-Ga and Rep Tom Marino R-Pa introduced a bill
on Tuesday that would require the military to use only human-based methods to train
service members to treat injuries sustained on the battlefield and end the use of live tissue
12
training in which troops stab or shoot pigs and goats to simulate the treatment of combat
trauma by Oct 1 2020 Johnson told the Washington Examiner he intends to raise the issue
during debate on the fiscal 2018 National Defense Authorization Act and hopes to use the
must-pass bill as a vehicle to ban live-tissue training He said simulators offer better combat
training than live animals are more humane and are ultimately more cost-effective
Washington Examiner
top of page
WELLNESS
Arthritis afflicts about 1 in 4 adults in the US CDC
report finds
7 March - About one in four adults in the United States suffers from arthritis according to a
new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Vital Signs report published Tuesday Of
the 54 million people in the United States who have this debilitating condition not all are
elderly About 60 percent of those with arthritis were between the ages of 18 and 64 that is
working age Activity limitations from arthritis increased by 20 percent since 2002 the
report found Simple everyday tasks such as walking or lifting bags are challenging for 24
million people affected by the condition in the United States Even though movement is
painful and difficult for people with arthritis the report suggests that increased physical
activity can mitigate arthritis symptoms by 40 percent Despite the proven health benefits of
physical activity for arthritis symptoms about 1 in 3 adults with arthritis in the United States
self-reports being physically inactive The Washington Post
Is dieting passeacute Study finds fewer overweight people try
to lose weight
8 March - An increasing number of overweight Americans have lost the motivation to diet
according to a new study hellip Back in 1990 when researchers asked overweight Americans if
they were trying to lose weight 56 percent said yes But this has changed According to the
latest data just 49 percent say theyre trying This may not seem like a big decline But given
that about 2 out of every 3 Americans are either overweight or obese a decline of 7 percent
means millions more people may have given up on dieting The trend is particularly evident
among black women says study author Jian Zhang an epidemiologist at Georgia Southern
University mdash though the trend is seen across the population hellip Its a big concern study
author Jian Zhang told us Obesity increases the risk of a whole range of diseases and
theres a concern that people who are overweight and obese may be ignoring or
overlooking the risks Not everyone is convinced that the dip in dieting is bad Theres a
possible good news story in this says Janet Tomiyama a psychologist at UCLA who studies
eating behavior and weight stigma hellip Tomiyama says there are signs that the strong anti-fat
13
bias in our culture may be shifting NPR
Poor diet tied to nearly half of US deaths from heart
disease stroke diabetes
7 March - Ensuring that diets include the right amount of certain foods may help the US
cut deaths from heart disease stroke and type 2 diabetes by almost half suggests a new
study About 45 percent of deaths from those causes in 2012 could be blamed on people
eating too much or too little of 10 types of foods researchers found hellip [Renata] Micha and
colleagues identified 10 dietary components closely tied to heart disease stroke and type 2
diabetes sodium fruits vegetables whole grains nuts and seeds unprocessed red meats
processed meats polyunsaturated fats like soybean or corn oils seafood omega-3 fats and
sugar-sweetened beverages Based on participants food diaries the researchers estimated
that 318656 of the 702308 deaths from heart disease stroke or type 2 diabetes were tied
to people getting too much or too little of those 10 foods or dietary factors Reuters
Significant differences among occupational groups found
in short sleep duration
7 March - According to a new study published in the CDCrsquos Morbidity and Mortality Weekly
Report there are big differences in the amount of sleep people get depending on their
occupation ldquoWe found that overall prevalence of short sleep duration was 365 percent
among the working adults who responded to the survey ndash but sleep duration varied widely
by occupationrdquo said study author Taylor Shockey MPH of CDCrsquos National Institute for
Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) ldquoWorkers in occupations where alternative
shiftwork is common such as production health care and some transportation jobs were
more likely to have a higher adjusted prevalence of short sleep duration Workers in other
occupation groups such as teachers farmers or pilots were the most likely to report
getting enough sleeprdquo Among the 22 major occupational groups that were researched the
prevalence of short sleep duration ranged from 429 percent for production workers to 313
percent among workers in the farming fishing and forestry occupation group as well as the
education training and library occupation group Other groups that were found to have a
high percentage of short sleep durations include health care support health care
practitioners and technical food preparation and serving-related and protective service
Occupational Health amp Safety
The grateful life may be a longer one
7 March - Can a positive attitude save your life Therersquos not conclusive evidence but hints
are tantalizing enough that researchers hellip are trying to find out ldquoA lot of the long-term
research says if yoursquore an optimist yoursquore more likely to have better healthrdquo says Jeff
Huffman ldquoLetrsquos say yoursquore not an optimist mdash can we turn you into one Can we promote
that and teach that in a durable way [And] will it really work [to improve health] Itrsquos a big
and open questionrdquo The Cardiac Psychiatry Research Program combines exercises designed
to promote positive psychology in cardiac and diabetes patients with techniques known to
14
change behavior such as goal-setting to encourage patients to adhere to medication
regimens improve their diets and become more active The best chance for a positive
outlook to affect health is by promoting exercise Huffman says Harvard Gazette
Warm-ups cool-downs what works what doesnrsquot
8 March - hellip [S]cientists hellip decided to systematically
examine the effects of some of the worldrsquos best-known
warm-up programs the FIFA 11 and its recent update the
FIFA 11+ hellip [T]he original FIFA 11 warm-up is light and
quick lasting about 10 minutes and involving various
kinds of jumping shuffling and balancing exercises The
updated FIFA 11+ is more intense requiring repeated sprints and exercises such as squats
leg lifts and vertical leaps hellip [T]he new study systematically pooled data from the best
earlier studies Those boys girls men and women who regularly completed the FIFA 11+
warm-up before training or games were about 40 percent less likely to sustain knee ankle
hamstring and hip or groin injuries during the season than athletes who warmed up in
other ways Interestingly the easier FIFA 11 warm-up did not substantially reduce the
incidence of subsequent injuries The New York Times
top of page
USAFRICOM
Somalia says 110 dead in last 48 hours due to drought
4 March - Some 110 people have died in southern Somalia in the last two days from famine
and diarrhea resulting from a drought the prime minister said on Saturday as the area
braces itself for widespread shortages of food In February United Nations childrens agency
UNICEF said the drought in Somalia could lead to up to 270000 children suffering from
severe acute malnutrition this year It is a difficult situation for the pastoralists and their
livestock Some people have been hit by famine and diarrhea at the same time In the last
48 hours 110 people died due to famine and diarrhea in Bay region Prime Minister Hassan
Ali Khaires office said in a statement Reuters
South Sudan South Sudan will now charge $10000 for
an aid worker permit Why
7 March - Late last month famine was declared in two counties of the civil-war torn East
African country of South Sudan With 100000 people at risk for dying of starvation in that
area alone and millions more on the brink of crisis-level food shortages throughout the
country South Sudanese President Salva Kiir promised unimpeded access to humanitarian
aid organizations working there A few days later the South Sudanese government hiked the
15
fee for work permits for foreign aid workers from $100 to $10000 Its unclear whether the
fee would apply only to newcomers or to those already there as well Whatever the case the
amount is absolutely unheard of globally said Julien Schopp director for Humanitarian
Practice at InterAction an alliance of 180 nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) working
around the world No organization can afford this and if NGOs go to their institutional
donors to request that extra money Im pretty sure that [the donors] will be reluctant to pay
this because they will see this to some extent as ransom NPR
top of page
USCENTCOM
Afghanistan Afghan fighting pressures hospitals clinics
- childrens rights group
6 March - Hospitals and clinics in Afghanistan have increasingly been targeted by armed
groups over the past two years weakening an already degraded health system a childrens
rights group said in a report issued on Monday Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict
said attacks had further restricted or even blocked medical care in a country where almost a
third of the population of more than 30 million lacks access to basic health services Armed
groups had forced temporary or permanent closure of medical facilities damaged or
destroyed medical facilities looted medical supplies stolen ambulances threatened
intimidated extorted or detained medical personnel and occupied medical facilities for
military purposes it said The report hellip said there were 119 conflict-related incidents
targeting medical facilities and personnel last year quoting a figure from the United
Nations Mission in Afghanistan Reuters
Afghanistan ISIS militants disguised as doctors kill 38 in
Kabul hospital attack
8 March - Islamic State has claimed responsibility for an attack on a Kabul military hospital
by gunmen disguised as doctors who breached the facility and battled security forces for
hours More than 30 people died and dozens more were injured the Afghan defence
ministry said The attack began with a suicide bombing at the rear of the hospital complex
in the Afghan capital Officials said at least three gunmen dressed as medical staff then
entered the 400-bed Sardar Mohammad Daud Khan facility and took up positions on the
upper floors A second explosion was heard as Afghan special forces engaged the gunmen
and ldquoheavy fightingrdquo ensued a defence ministry spokesman said The Guardian
Iraq ISIS allegedly used chemical weapons in Mosul
battle injuring civilians
6 March - ISIS militants used chemical weapons during the battle for the city of Mosul last
16
week injuring a number of civilians according to a senior Iraqi security official The officials
assessment comes after the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) issued a
statement last week saying that their workers had treated patients from Mosul who were
suffering from symptoms consistent with exposure to a toxic chemical agent Over a
number of days last week the ICRC said it treated 15 such patients hellip It was certainly [the
result of] a toxic chemical agent because their symptoms were absolutely clear People had
blisters they vomited They had irritation in the eyes and coughed she added The World
Health Organization said in a statement that hellip the use of chemical weapons is a war
crime Both the WHO and ICRC said that the patients symptoms were consistent with
exposure to a blistering agent NBC News
Syria Syrian children suffer staggering levels of trauma
and distress ndash report
6 March - A Save the Children study says Syriarsquos mental
health crisis has reached a tipping point and that severe
distress among children could cause life-long damage
The report says 58 million of children in Syria are in need
of aid Children in Syria are suffering from ldquotoxic stressrdquo a
severe form of psychological trauma that can cause life-
long damage according to a study that charts a rise in self-harm and suicide attempts
among children as young as 12 hellip More than 70 of children interviewed experienced
common symptoms of ldquotoxic stressrdquo or post-traumatic stress disorder such as bedwetting
the study found Loss of speech aggression and substance abuse are also commonplace
About 48 of adults reported seeing children who have lost the ability to speak or who
have developed speech impediments since the war began hellip The majority of children
interviewed showed signs of ldquosevere emotional stressrdquo and 78 of them felt grief and
extreme sadness some of the time The Guardian
top of page
USEUCOM
EuropeUS Mutual Recognition promises new
framework for pharmaceutical inspections for United
States and European Union
2 March - The United States and the European Union (EU) completed an exchange of letters
to amend the Pharmaceutical Annex to the 1998 US-EU Mutual Recognition Agreement
Under this agreement US and EU regulators will be able to utilize each otherrsquos good
manufacturing practice inspections of pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities The
17
amended agreement represents the culmination of nearly three years of US Food and Drug
Administration and EU cooperation as part of the Mutual Reliance Initiative and will allow
the FDA and EU drug inspectors to rely upon information from drug inspections conducted
within each otherrsquos borders Ultimately this will enable the FDA and EU to avoid the
duplication of drug inspections lower inspection costs and enable regulators to devote
more resources to other parts of the world where there may be greater risk FDA
Israel marijuana Users to face fine rather than criminal
charge
5 March - The Israeli government has taken steps to reduce the penalties for personal
marijuana use It backed plans to issue fines initially and only resort to criminal charges for
repeat offenders Selling buying and producing the drug will remain illegal and the move
must still be ratified by parliament According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime almost
9 of Israelis use cannabis though some experts believe the figure to be higher The move
follows recommendations by a committee set up to study the issue and moves by a
number of US states and European nations to decriminalise use of the drug BBC News
Romania Measles outbreak in Romania - ECDC assesses
the risk of spread to and sustained transmission in
EUEEA countries
7 March - An outbreak of measles is ongoing in Romania From the end of September 2016
to 17 February 2017 the Romanian National Institute of Public Health received reports of
3071 cases of measles Cases continue to be reported despite ongoing response measures
at national level through reinforced vaccination activities hellip Considering the size and
geographical spread of the ongoing measles outbreak in Romania the likelihood of
exportation of measles cases is high Between 1 February 2016 and 31 January 2017 ECDC
received reports of 4484 cases of measles from 30 EUEEA countries hellip Given that the
vaccination coverage target [of 95] is still to be reached in a number of EUEEA countries
the risk of spread and sustained transmission from areas where measles transmission is
occurring in areas with susceptible populations is high Eurosurveillance
Romania Romanias healthcare exodus
9 March - hellip Romania has bled out tens of thousands of doctors nurses dentists and
pharmacists since joining the European Union a decade ago lured abroad by what the
country lacks significantly higher pay modern infrastructure and functional healthcare
systems France Germany and Britain are among the most popular destinations The
consequences are dire Romania is one of the EU states with the fewest doctors Nearly a
third of hospital positions are vacant and the health ministry estimates one in four
Romanians has insufficient access to essential healthcare hellip This despite the fact that
Romania is a leading EU state when it comes to the number of medical graduates Reuters
18
Switzerland Measles outbreaks continue to plague
Switzerland
28 February - Switzerland is on track to see the most cases of measles in years in 2017
Vaccinations are on the rise but the government recently admitted its eradication strategy
has failed In 1987 the Federal Health Office announced a vaccination strategy that it hoped
would eradicate measles by the year 2000 Seventeen years after that deadline the
vaccination rate lies at 87 below the 95 that the World Health Organization deems a
target for eradication Daniel Koch head of the infectious disease unit at the Federal Health
Office told swissinfoch that ldquothe number of people who are vaccinated has been
consistently rising but wersquore not yet where we want to berdquo Over the past several decades
Switzerland has had significant outbreaks roughly every four years In a long-term outbreak
between 2006 and 2009 Switzerland reached the highest measles rate in Europe with 4371
registered cases SWI
United Kingdom Nestleacute to remove 10 of sugar from all
snacks in UK and Ireland by 2018
7 March - Nestleacute one of the worldrsquos biggest chocolate manufacturers will take 10 of the
sugar out of its confectionery in the UK and Ireland by 2018 The corporation says the cut is
from the levels existing in its sugary products in 2015 and will amount to about 7500
tonnes The announcement follows public concern over the quantity of sugar in the
countryrsquos diet and its contribution to rising obesity levels The threat of a sugar levy on soft
drinks has encouraged the reformulation of Irn Bru and Lucozade which will escape the tax
although there have been no such moves by PepsiCo or Coca-Cola hellip Nestleacute says it will not
use artificial sweeteners in its confectionery Instead it plans to replace sugar with higher
quantities of existing ingredients or other non-artificial ingredients and ensuring products
are below a certain amount of calories The Guardian
top of page
USNORTHCOM
Canada Dallaire testifies mefloquine drug impaired
thought process in Rwanda
7 March - The Canadian army officer who led the UN peacekeeping mission during the
Rwandan genocide says the antimalarial drug mefloquine affected his thought processes
during his deployment but the military refused to let him stop taking it Romeacuteo Dallaire the
human rights activist retired lieutenant-general and former senator who speaks openly
about his struggles with post-traumatic stress syndrome told the Commons veterans affairs
19
committee this week that mefloquine interferes with the ability to make quick decisions in
military theatres hellip Soldiers who were given mefloquine in Somalia in the early 1990s as
part of a poorly administered ndash and possibly illegal ndash clinical trial run by the Department of
National Defence have told the veterans affairs committee that the medication caused
lasting brain damage hellip Health Canada began in December to review available information
about any causal link between the use of mefloquine and persistent neurological or
psychiatric adverse events their frequency and severity and whether any particular segment
of the population is at increased risk The Globe and Mail
US CDC wants better data to manage global
communicable diseases
6 March - To better understand how diseases travel with international airline passengers
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is seeking advanced global aviation
intelligence data and analytical tools to enhance the agencyrsquos ability to analyze global
aviation patterns In a request for proposals posted Feb 16 the CDC said it needs more
advanced data and tools because air travel has become an increasingly common conduit for
the spread of disease ldquoThe need is immediate and ongoing for a single secure and web-
based global aviation database and analytical application to support analysis of aviation
global capacity and domestic and international passenger traffic (historical and future)rdquo the
RFP said GCN
US EPA chief unconvinced on CO2 link to global
warming
9 March - The new head of the Environmental Protection Agency said on Thursday he is not
convinced that carbon dioxide from human activity is the main driver of climate change and
said he wants Congress to weigh in on whether CO2 is a harmful pollutant that should be
regulated In an interview with CNBC EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt said the Trump
administration will make an announcement on fuel efficiency standards for cars very soon
stressing that he and President Donald Trump believe current standards were rushed
through Pruitt 48 is a climate change denier who sued the agency he now leads more than
a dozen times as Oklahomas attorney general He said he was not convinced that carbon
dioxide pollution from burning fossil fuels like oil gas and coal is the main cause of climate
change a conclusion widely embraced by scientists Reuters
US EPA environmental justice leader resigns amid
White House plans to dismantle program
9 March - A key environmental justice leader at the Environmental Protection Agency has
resigned saying that a recent budget proposal to defund such work would harm the people
who most rely on the EPA Mustafa Ali a senior advisor and assistant associate
administrator for environmental justice has served more than two decades at the agency
working to ease the burden of air and water pollution in hundreds of poor minority
20
communities nationwide He helped found the EPArsquos environmental justice office during the
early 1990s and became a key adviser to agency administrators under Republican and
Democratic presidents hellip [T]he White House is seeking to close the agencyrsquos Office of
Environmental Justice hellip [T]he new administration hellip ldquoassumes any future EJ specific policy
work can be transferred to the Office of Policyrdquo The Washington Post
US FDA has encouraged development but needs to
clarify the role of draft guidance and develop qualified
infectious disease product guidance
January 2017 - Antibiotics have long played a key role in treating infections but this role is
threatened by growing resistance to existing antibiotics and the decline in the development
of new drugs hellip The [Generating Antibiotic Incentives Now (GAIN)] provisions created the
[qualified infectious disease products (QIDP)] designation and its associated incentives to
encourage the development of new drugs to treat serious or life-threatening infections
While it is too soon to tell if GAIN has stimulated the development of new drugs GAO was
asked to provide information on FDArsquos efforts to implement GAIN hellip GAO recommends that
FDA clarify the role of draft guidance for and develop written guidance on the QIDP
designation to help drug sponsors better understand the designation and its associated
incentives HHS said it would consider GAOrsquos first recommendation and agreed with the
second GAO believes the first recommendation should also be adopted GAO
US Forbidding forecast for Lyme disease in the
northeast
6 March - hellip [Rick] Keesing and [Felicia] Ostfeld who have
studied Lyme for more than 20 years have come up with an
early warning system for the disease They can predict how
many cases there will be a year in advance by looking at one
key measurement Count the mice the year before The
number of critters scampering around the forest in the
summer correlates to the Lyme cases the following summer theyve reported The
explanation is simple Mice are highly efficient transmitters of Lyme They infect up to 95
percent of ticks that feed on them Mice are responsible for infecting the majority of ticks
carrying Lyme in the Northeast And ticks love mice An individual mouse might have 50
60 even 100 ticks covering its ears and face Ostfeld says So that mouse plague last year
means there is going to be a Lyme plague this year NPR
US Obamacare repeal guts crucial public health funds
8 March - The latest Republican health-care bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act would
eliminate funds for fundamental public health programs including for the prevention of
bioterrorism and disease outbreaks as well as money to provide immunizations and heart-
disease screenings As part of the ACA or Obamacare the Prevention and Public Health
21
Fund provides almost $1 billion annually to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Since 2010 the fund has been an increasingly important source of money for core CDC
programs today accounting for about 12 percent of the CDCrsquos total budget The GOP bill
would eliminate the Prevention and Public Health Fund starting in October of next year No
clear replacement has been proposed The Washington Post
US Patients demand the right to try experimental
drugs but costs can be steep 3 March - In the last three years 33 US states have passed laws aimed at helping dying
people get easier access to experimental treatments that are still in the early stages of
human testing Supporters say these patients are just looking for the right to try these
treatments Such laws sound compassionate but medical ethicists warn they pose
worrisome risks to the health and finances of vulnerable patients hellip Dr R Adams Dudley
director of UCSFs Center for Healthcare Value [says] If we take the FDA out of it how do
we protect people from physicians or drug companies that will want to sell them things and
will want to prey on their desperation hellip Patients could spend huge amounts of money
trying a drug that hasnt been proved to work he says And the patient may also be giving
up their hopes for a controlled peaceful death at home NPR
US Ten million lives saved by 1962 breakthrough study
says 3 March - Nearly 200 million cases of polio measles mumps rubella varicella adenovirus
rabies and hepatitis Amdashand approximately 450000 deaths from these diseasesmdashwere
prevented in the US alone between 1963 and 2015 by vaccination researchers estimate
In 1963 vaccination against these infections became widespread thanks to the
development of a human cell strain that allowed vaccines to be produced safely Globally
the vaccines developed from this strain and its derivatives prevented an estimated 45
billion cases of disease and saved more than 10 million lives Author S Jay Olshansky
professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of Illinois at Chicago School of
Public Health hellip used previously-published data on cases and deaths for each disease in the
US in 1960 before vaccines were available for these diseases Medical Xpress
US US skin disease burden expected to increase 3 March - More than one-fourth of Americans (27) were seen by a physician for skin
disease in 2013 and they averaged 16 skin diseases each researchers found Skin disease
costs at least $75 billion to treat in a single year and is an especially big problem in the 65-
and-older population which tends to get more skin diseases due to lifelong cumulative sun
exposure and increasing susceptibility to bacterial viral and fungal diseases With the
projected increase in the age group 65 years and older in the US population combined
with the increased costs of currently in-use and newly developed dermatologic treatment
options the economic burden of skin disease will continue to grow the investigators
wrote MedPage Today
top of page
22
USPACOM
India India abortion - police find 19 female foetuses
6 March - Police in the western Indian state of Maharashtra have found 19 aborted female
foetuses near a hospital Senior police officials in Sangli district said the remains were
buried with the intention of disposing them The police told the BBC that they found the
foetuses while they were investigating the death of a woman who had undergone an illegal
abortion Activists say the incident proves yet again that female foeticide is rampant in India
despite awareness campaigns The police said that the woman had died in a botched
abortion and they were looking for the foetus near a local hospital when they made the
grisly discovery It appears to be an abortion racket We have arrested the husband of the
woman and have launched a manhunt for the doctor who has gone missing Dattatray
Shinde superintendent of police told the BBC BBC News
India Missing the signals - Indiarsquos anti-vaccination social
media campaign
7 March - India recently launched a one-month campaign to vaccinate over 35 million
9-month to 15-year old children with a measles-rubella vaccine across five states The
campaign marked the start of a two-year initiative aiming to vaccinate over 400 million
children across India ndash part of a larger global effort to eliminate measles and rubella By the
end of the first month of the campaign it became clear that it was struggling to meet its
goal A different kind of campaign was circulating on WhatsApp and Facebook ndash fuelling a
mix of conspiracy theories safety concerns and questioning around why the vaccine and
the campaign were needed Whatrsquos more the rumours were taking hold in the wealthier
southern states with generally the best education and health indicators in the country
The Vaccine Confidence Project
Myanmar Tuberculosis kills 14 in Myanmarrsquos remote
north
9 March - At least 14 people have died from pulmonary tuberculosis in a remote and
impoverished region in Myanmarrsquos north this year according to officials Thursday The
illness characterized by a persistent cough has hit two villages in Lahe Township of the
mountainous Naga region located around 1300 kilometers (800 miles) from Myanmarrsquos
largest city Yangon Maung Kal a lawmaker representing the area told Anadolu Agency on
Thursday that 14 middle-aged people -- including six women -- have succumbed to the
disease over the past two months hellip According to World Health Organization (WHO)
estimates more than 150000 people suffer from tuberculosis in Myanmar which is
currently included in a list of 30 countries recognized as high-burden with the infectious
respiratory disease Anadolu Agency
top of page
23
USSOUTHCOM
Brazil WHO expands vaccination advice as yellow fever
covers southeast Brazil state
7 March - The entire Brazilian state of Espirito Santo is now considered at risk for yellow
fever transmission the World Health Organization says raising concerns the deadly virus
could spread to the nations biggest cities An ongoing yellow fever outbreak has so far
been limited to rural areas hellip [b]ut there are growing concerns the virus could spread to
urban centers like Rio de Janeiro Sao Paulo Belo Horizonte and Vitoria - areas where tens
of millions live Reuters
Ecuador Leads desperate artisans
Spring 2017 - hellip Lead has been used in ceramic glazes for thousands of years for its
beautiful and strong finishmdashbut more importantlymdashbecause it enables the glaze to melt at
a lower temperature facilitating the use of backyard low-fire kilns In La Victoria to get the
lead for these glazes artisans turned to the lead plates from car batteries manually
removing them and melting them down in their kilns This process aerosolized the lead
enabling it to be inhaled by people and distributed across the environment widely
contaminating soil foods objects and homes hellip [Edgar] Neto tells me that environmental
health inspections should be done in La Victoria every three months but there are no police
to enforce the environmental laws Although no one in La Victoria tells stories of fines levied
for crimes against the environment the social structure within the political and artisan
associations here is strong and much of the lead use among artisans has changed hellip While
excessive exposure and acute lead toxicity may have abated leadrsquos potential for health
problems continuesmdashin the form of chronic exposure Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health
top of page
24
US Military | Global | Influenza | VeterinaryFood Safety | Wellness | Contact Us
USAFRICOM | USCENTCOM | USEUCOM | USNORTHCOM | USPACOM | USSOUTHCOM
The Army Public Health Weekly Update does not analyze the information as to its strategic or tactical impact on the US Army and is not a medical
intelligence product Medical intelligence is available from the National Center for Medical Intelligence
External Links The appearance of external hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the US Army of this Web site or the information products
or services contained therein For other than authorized activities such as military exchanges and MWR sites the US Army does not exercise any
editorial control over the information you may find at these locations Such links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of this product
Although we avoid links to sites that may be blocked all sites may not be accessible from all locations While we verify the links at the time of
publication we cannot guarantee that they will be active in the future
Articles appearing in the Update do not necessarily represent US Army Medical Command opinionsviews policy or guidance and should not be
construed or interpreted as being endorsed by the US Army Medical Command
The Army Public Health Weekly Update is published by the Public Health Information Directorate Army Public Health Center
7
VA study highlights benefits of enhanced aspirin in
preventing certain cancers
1 March - Researchers know of aspirinrsquos benefits in preventing certain ailments mdash from
cardiovascular disease to most recently colorectal cancer But while the link to those two
conditions was made researchers also questioned how and if this ldquowonder drugrdquo could
work to ward off other types of cancers hellip [N]ew studies verify their theory of cancer-
prevention benefits based on aspirinrsquos effects on plateletsmdashblood cells that form clots to
stop bleeding hellip ldquoAlong with clotting platelets also play a role in forming new blood
vesselsrdquo Vijayan said ldquoThat action is normally beneficial such as when a new clot forms
after a wound and new vessels are needed to redirect blood flow But the same action can
help tumors grow Itrsquos this process that aspirin can interruptrdquo Aerotech News
Yellow fever mdash once again on the radar screen in the
Americas
8 March - hellip Over the past several weeks a fifth arbovirus yellow fever virus has broken out
in Brazil with the majority of the infections occurring in rural areas of the country These are
referred to as sylvatic or jungle cases since the typical transmission cycle occurs between
forest mosquitoes and forest-dwelling nonhuman primates with humans serving only as
incidental hosts In this ongoing outbreak health authorities have reported 234 confirmed
infections and 80 confirmed deaths as of February 2017 The high number of cases is out
of proportion to the number reported in a typical year in these areas Although there is
currently no evidence that human-to-human transmission through Aedes aegypti
mosquitoes (urban transmission) has occurred the outbreak is affecting areas in close
proximity to major urban centers where yellow fever vaccine is not routinely administered
This proximity raises concern that for the first time in decades urban transmission of yellow
fever will occur in Brazil Although it is highly unlikely that we will see yellow fever
outbreaks in the continental United States where mosquito density is low and risk of
exposure is limited it is possible that travel-related cases of yellow fever could occur with
brief periods of local transmission in warmer regions such as the Gulf Coast states where
A aegypti mosquitoes are prevalent The New England Journal of Medicine
ZIKA VIRUS
Blood donor screening finds 13 Zika rate in Puerto Rico
last year
7 March - In a study that expands on an earlier analysis screening of blood donations in
Puerto Rico last spring and summer found a 13 incidence of Zika virus hellip Assuming a 99-
day duration of viremia (virus in the blood) the investigators extrapolated that 469321
people on the island were infected during that period for an estimated cumulative
8
incidence of 129 (range 110 to 154) They further estimated that 69675 women of
reproductive age were infected in that time span or 97 of the total population of such
women
CIDRAP News Scan (first item)
Zika case counts in the US
Data reported to ArboNET for January 1 2015 ndash March 8 2017 CDC
US States
5109 Zika virus disease cases reported
4813 cases in travelers returning from affected
areas
221 cases acquired through presumed local
mosquito-borne transmission in Florida
(N=215) and Texas (N=6)
75 cases acquired through other routes
including sexual transmission (N=45)
congenital infection (N=28) laboratory
transmission (N=1) and person-to-person
through an unknown route (N=1)
US Territories
38099 Zika virus disease cases reported
147 cases in travelers returning from affected
areas
37952 cases acquired through presumed local
mosquito-borne transmission
0 cases acquired through other routes
Sexually transmitted cases are not reported for
US territories because with local transmission of
Zika virus it is not possible to determine
whether infection occurred due to mosquito-
borne or sexual transmission
top of page
INFLUENZA
APHC US Army Influenza Activity Report
For the week ending 25 February 2017 (Week 8)
Overall influenza activity and positive influenza A samples decreased in Army and civilian
populations
ILI Activity Army ILI (influenza-like illness) outpatient visits in week 8 were 13
higher than the same week last year
Influenza cases Seven hospitalized influenza-associated cases were reported to
APHC through DRSi in week 7 and all were non-AD beneficiaries
Viral specimens During week 8 980 of 2894 (34) lab specimens tested positive for
respiratory pathogens Of 697 influenza A-positive specimens RHC-A reported 402
(577) followed by RHC-C (254 364) RHC-P (25 36) RHC-E (15 22) and
CENTCOM (1 01) APHC
CDC Flu View - Weekly US Influenza Surveillance
Report
During week 8 (February 19-25 2017) influenza activity remained elevated in the United
9
States
Viral Surveillance The most frequently identified influenza virus subtype reported
by public health laboratories during week 8 was influenza A (H3) The percentage of
respiratory specimens testing positive for influenza in clinical laboratories remained
elevated
Pneumonia and Influenza Mortality The proportion of deaths attributed to
pneumonia and influenza (PampI) was above the system-specific epidemic threshold
in the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) Mortality Surveillance System
Influenza-associated Pediatric Deaths Six influenza-associated pediatric deaths
were reported CDC
ECDC Flu News Europe
Week 82017 (20-26 February 2017)
Influenza activity across the region while decreasing remained above levels
observed during the out of season period
The proportion of influenza virus detections among sentinel surveillance specimens
decreased to 33 from 38 in the previous week
The great majority of detected and subtyped influenza viruses were A(H3N2) and
while the proportion of type B viruses increased as commonly seen in the second
half of an influenza season their numbers remained low
The number of hospitalized laboratory-confirmed influenza cases reported
primarily in people aged 65 years or older continued to decrease
European Center for Disease Prevention and ControlWHO
Increase in human infections with avian influenza
A(H7N9) Virus during the fifth epidemic mdash China
October 2016ndashFebruary 2017
10 March - During March 2013ndashFebruary 24 2017 annual epidemics of avian influenza
A(H7N9) in China resulted in 1258 avian influenza A(H7N9) virus infections in humans being
reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) by the National Health and Family
Planning Commission of China and other regional sources During the first four epidemics
88 of patients developed pneumonia 68 were admitted to an intensive care unit and
41 died Candidate vaccine viruses (CVVs) were developed and vaccine was manufactured
based on representative viruses detected after the emergence of A(H7N9) virus in humans
in 2013 During the ongoing fifth epidemic (beginning October 1 2016) 460 human
infections with A(H7N9) virus have been reported hellip Although the clinical characteristics
and risk factors for human infections do not appear to have changed the reported human
infections during the fifth epidemic represent a significant increase compared with the first
four epidemics Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Update
NHRC Febrile Respiratory Illness Surveillance Update
For the week ending 2 January 2016
10
Influenza Fourteen cases of NHRC laboratory-confirmed influenza (AH3) among
US military basic trainees
FRI surveillance at all eight US military basic training centers indicated FRI rates
were elevated at Fort Jackson NRTC Great Lakes MCRD Parris Island Lackland AFB
and CGTC Cape May Naval Health Research Center
USAFSAM amp DHA DoD Global Laboratory-Based
Influenza Surveillance Program
During 12 - 25 February 2017 (Surveillance Weeks 7 amp 8) a total of 570 specimens were
collected from 49 locations Results were finalized for 455 specimens from 44 locations
During Week 7 one influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 144 influenza A(H3N2) and 28 influenza B
viruses were identified During Week 8 three influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 91 influenza
A(H3N2) one influenza A(H3N2) amp Influenza B and 14 influenza B viruses were identified
Approximately 50 of specimens tested positive for influenza during Week 7
Approximately 50 of specimens tested positive for influenza during Week 8 The influenza
percent positive for the season is approximately 35
US Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine amp Defense Health Agency
USDA has $80 million-$90 million to fight bird flu
9 March - The US Department of Agriculture has $80 million to $90 million left over from
the last major outbreak of bird flu to fight any new discoveries of the virus the
departments chief veterinary officer said on Thursday USDA must appeal to Congress if
more money is needed to fight the disease which was recently found in two US states and
also has been confirmed across Asia and in Europe Any potential request for emergency
funding is complicated as US President Donald Trumps choice for the position has not yet
been confirmed by the Senate Reuters
WHO Influenza Update
6 March - Influenza activity in the temperate zone of the northern hemisphere continued to
be elevated in some countries Influenza activity in many countries especially in East Asia
and Europe appeared to have already peaked Worldwide influenza A(H3N2) virus was
predominant The majority of influenza viruses characterized so far were similar antigenically
to the reference viruses contained in vaccines for use in the 2016-2017 northern hemisphere
influenza season Nearly all tested viruses collected recently for antiviral sensitivity were
susceptible to the neuraminidase inhibitor antiviral medications WHO
top of page
11
VETERINARYFOOD SAFETY
2 dead in multi-state Listeria outbreak traced to Vulto
cheese
9 March - Two people are dead and four others are confirmed sick with a strain of Listeria
monocytogenes found in cheese made from unpasteurized raw milk Vulto Creamery is
recalling the cheese from retailers and distributors nationwide Itrsquos been more than five
months since the first outbreak victim became sick on Sept 1 2016 but federal officials said
Jos Vulto owner of the Walton NY cheese operation initiated the recall as soon as he heard
about the ldquocannot rule outrdquo test results on his cheese He began pulling cheese back from
his customers March 3 and posted the public recall Tuesday Since then the Food and Drug
Administration has confirmed Listeria monocytogenes in Vultorsquos finished product hellip The
most recent illness began on Jan 22 Food Safety News
fMRI predicts if Fido is fit for service
7 March - Using functional MRI to identify certain areas of brain activity helped improved
predictions about which dogs were not suitable for service dog training a small study
found hellip [R]esearchers said they used fMRI on 43 service dogs prior to training -- 33 of
which completed training and were matched with a person and 10 of which were released
for behavioral reasons Dogs with a higher level of response in the amygdala an area of the
brain linked with excitability were more likely to fail the service training program This was a
modest improvement over current prediction methods that involve evaluating the dogs
temperament MedPage Today
Four more states report soy nut butter E coli infections
8 March - Four more people from four additional states became infected with Shiga toxin-
producing E coli O157H7 bacteria after consuming a certain brand of soy nut butter and
granola according to the CDC Missouri Virginia Washington and Wisconsin have all
reported individuals becoming ill after consuming IM Healthy Brand SoyNut Butter --
bringing the total affected to 16 Two additional people have been hospitalized with
hemolytic uremic syndrome All five individuals with this type of kidney failure were
children a CDC investigation found MedPage Today
The military kills 8500 pigs and goats every year for
medical training A new bill would end that
4 March - A bipartisan group of lawmakers is trying to stop the Defense Department from
killing about 8500 goats and pigs a year in medical training exercises designed to prepare
troops for combat Rep Hank Johnson D-Ga and Rep Tom Marino R-Pa introduced a bill
on Tuesday that would require the military to use only human-based methods to train
service members to treat injuries sustained on the battlefield and end the use of live tissue
12
training in which troops stab or shoot pigs and goats to simulate the treatment of combat
trauma by Oct 1 2020 Johnson told the Washington Examiner he intends to raise the issue
during debate on the fiscal 2018 National Defense Authorization Act and hopes to use the
must-pass bill as a vehicle to ban live-tissue training He said simulators offer better combat
training than live animals are more humane and are ultimately more cost-effective
Washington Examiner
top of page
WELLNESS
Arthritis afflicts about 1 in 4 adults in the US CDC
report finds
7 March - About one in four adults in the United States suffers from arthritis according to a
new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Vital Signs report published Tuesday Of
the 54 million people in the United States who have this debilitating condition not all are
elderly About 60 percent of those with arthritis were between the ages of 18 and 64 that is
working age Activity limitations from arthritis increased by 20 percent since 2002 the
report found Simple everyday tasks such as walking or lifting bags are challenging for 24
million people affected by the condition in the United States Even though movement is
painful and difficult for people with arthritis the report suggests that increased physical
activity can mitigate arthritis symptoms by 40 percent Despite the proven health benefits of
physical activity for arthritis symptoms about 1 in 3 adults with arthritis in the United States
self-reports being physically inactive The Washington Post
Is dieting passeacute Study finds fewer overweight people try
to lose weight
8 March - An increasing number of overweight Americans have lost the motivation to diet
according to a new study hellip Back in 1990 when researchers asked overweight Americans if
they were trying to lose weight 56 percent said yes But this has changed According to the
latest data just 49 percent say theyre trying This may not seem like a big decline But given
that about 2 out of every 3 Americans are either overweight or obese a decline of 7 percent
means millions more people may have given up on dieting The trend is particularly evident
among black women says study author Jian Zhang an epidemiologist at Georgia Southern
University mdash though the trend is seen across the population hellip Its a big concern study
author Jian Zhang told us Obesity increases the risk of a whole range of diseases and
theres a concern that people who are overweight and obese may be ignoring or
overlooking the risks Not everyone is convinced that the dip in dieting is bad Theres a
possible good news story in this says Janet Tomiyama a psychologist at UCLA who studies
eating behavior and weight stigma hellip Tomiyama says there are signs that the strong anti-fat
13
bias in our culture may be shifting NPR
Poor diet tied to nearly half of US deaths from heart
disease stroke diabetes
7 March - Ensuring that diets include the right amount of certain foods may help the US
cut deaths from heart disease stroke and type 2 diabetes by almost half suggests a new
study About 45 percent of deaths from those causes in 2012 could be blamed on people
eating too much or too little of 10 types of foods researchers found hellip [Renata] Micha and
colleagues identified 10 dietary components closely tied to heart disease stroke and type 2
diabetes sodium fruits vegetables whole grains nuts and seeds unprocessed red meats
processed meats polyunsaturated fats like soybean or corn oils seafood omega-3 fats and
sugar-sweetened beverages Based on participants food diaries the researchers estimated
that 318656 of the 702308 deaths from heart disease stroke or type 2 diabetes were tied
to people getting too much or too little of those 10 foods or dietary factors Reuters
Significant differences among occupational groups found
in short sleep duration
7 March - According to a new study published in the CDCrsquos Morbidity and Mortality Weekly
Report there are big differences in the amount of sleep people get depending on their
occupation ldquoWe found that overall prevalence of short sleep duration was 365 percent
among the working adults who responded to the survey ndash but sleep duration varied widely
by occupationrdquo said study author Taylor Shockey MPH of CDCrsquos National Institute for
Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) ldquoWorkers in occupations where alternative
shiftwork is common such as production health care and some transportation jobs were
more likely to have a higher adjusted prevalence of short sleep duration Workers in other
occupation groups such as teachers farmers or pilots were the most likely to report
getting enough sleeprdquo Among the 22 major occupational groups that were researched the
prevalence of short sleep duration ranged from 429 percent for production workers to 313
percent among workers in the farming fishing and forestry occupation group as well as the
education training and library occupation group Other groups that were found to have a
high percentage of short sleep durations include health care support health care
practitioners and technical food preparation and serving-related and protective service
Occupational Health amp Safety
The grateful life may be a longer one
7 March - Can a positive attitude save your life Therersquos not conclusive evidence but hints
are tantalizing enough that researchers hellip are trying to find out ldquoA lot of the long-term
research says if yoursquore an optimist yoursquore more likely to have better healthrdquo says Jeff
Huffman ldquoLetrsquos say yoursquore not an optimist mdash can we turn you into one Can we promote
that and teach that in a durable way [And] will it really work [to improve health] Itrsquos a big
and open questionrdquo The Cardiac Psychiatry Research Program combines exercises designed
to promote positive psychology in cardiac and diabetes patients with techniques known to
14
change behavior such as goal-setting to encourage patients to adhere to medication
regimens improve their diets and become more active The best chance for a positive
outlook to affect health is by promoting exercise Huffman says Harvard Gazette
Warm-ups cool-downs what works what doesnrsquot
8 March - hellip [S]cientists hellip decided to systematically
examine the effects of some of the worldrsquos best-known
warm-up programs the FIFA 11 and its recent update the
FIFA 11+ hellip [T]he original FIFA 11 warm-up is light and
quick lasting about 10 minutes and involving various
kinds of jumping shuffling and balancing exercises The
updated FIFA 11+ is more intense requiring repeated sprints and exercises such as squats
leg lifts and vertical leaps hellip [T]he new study systematically pooled data from the best
earlier studies Those boys girls men and women who regularly completed the FIFA 11+
warm-up before training or games were about 40 percent less likely to sustain knee ankle
hamstring and hip or groin injuries during the season than athletes who warmed up in
other ways Interestingly the easier FIFA 11 warm-up did not substantially reduce the
incidence of subsequent injuries The New York Times
top of page
USAFRICOM
Somalia says 110 dead in last 48 hours due to drought
4 March - Some 110 people have died in southern Somalia in the last two days from famine
and diarrhea resulting from a drought the prime minister said on Saturday as the area
braces itself for widespread shortages of food In February United Nations childrens agency
UNICEF said the drought in Somalia could lead to up to 270000 children suffering from
severe acute malnutrition this year It is a difficult situation for the pastoralists and their
livestock Some people have been hit by famine and diarrhea at the same time In the last
48 hours 110 people died due to famine and diarrhea in Bay region Prime Minister Hassan
Ali Khaires office said in a statement Reuters
South Sudan South Sudan will now charge $10000 for
an aid worker permit Why
7 March - Late last month famine was declared in two counties of the civil-war torn East
African country of South Sudan With 100000 people at risk for dying of starvation in that
area alone and millions more on the brink of crisis-level food shortages throughout the
country South Sudanese President Salva Kiir promised unimpeded access to humanitarian
aid organizations working there A few days later the South Sudanese government hiked the
15
fee for work permits for foreign aid workers from $100 to $10000 Its unclear whether the
fee would apply only to newcomers or to those already there as well Whatever the case the
amount is absolutely unheard of globally said Julien Schopp director for Humanitarian
Practice at InterAction an alliance of 180 nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) working
around the world No organization can afford this and if NGOs go to their institutional
donors to request that extra money Im pretty sure that [the donors] will be reluctant to pay
this because they will see this to some extent as ransom NPR
top of page
USCENTCOM
Afghanistan Afghan fighting pressures hospitals clinics
- childrens rights group
6 March - Hospitals and clinics in Afghanistan have increasingly been targeted by armed
groups over the past two years weakening an already degraded health system a childrens
rights group said in a report issued on Monday Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict
said attacks had further restricted or even blocked medical care in a country where almost a
third of the population of more than 30 million lacks access to basic health services Armed
groups had forced temporary or permanent closure of medical facilities damaged or
destroyed medical facilities looted medical supplies stolen ambulances threatened
intimidated extorted or detained medical personnel and occupied medical facilities for
military purposes it said The report hellip said there were 119 conflict-related incidents
targeting medical facilities and personnel last year quoting a figure from the United
Nations Mission in Afghanistan Reuters
Afghanistan ISIS militants disguised as doctors kill 38 in
Kabul hospital attack
8 March - Islamic State has claimed responsibility for an attack on a Kabul military hospital
by gunmen disguised as doctors who breached the facility and battled security forces for
hours More than 30 people died and dozens more were injured the Afghan defence
ministry said The attack began with a suicide bombing at the rear of the hospital complex
in the Afghan capital Officials said at least three gunmen dressed as medical staff then
entered the 400-bed Sardar Mohammad Daud Khan facility and took up positions on the
upper floors A second explosion was heard as Afghan special forces engaged the gunmen
and ldquoheavy fightingrdquo ensued a defence ministry spokesman said The Guardian
Iraq ISIS allegedly used chemical weapons in Mosul
battle injuring civilians
6 March - ISIS militants used chemical weapons during the battle for the city of Mosul last
16
week injuring a number of civilians according to a senior Iraqi security official The officials
assessment comes after the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) issued a
statement last week saying that their workers had treated patients from Mosul who were
suffering from symptoms consistent with exposure to a toxic chemical agent Over a
number of days last week the ICRC said it treated 15 such patients hellip It was certainly [the
result of] a toxic chemical agent because their symptoms were absolutely clear People had
blisters they vomited They had irritation in the eyes and coughed she added The World
Health Organization said in a statement that hellip the use of chemical weapons is a war
crime Both the WHO and ICRC said that the patients symptoms were consistent with
exposure to a blistering agent NBC News
Syria Syrian children suffer staggering levels of trauma
and distress ndash report
6 March - A Save the Children study says Syriarsquos mental
health crisis has reached a tipping point and that severe
distress among children could cause life-long damage
The report says 58 million of children in Syria are in need
of aid Children in Syria are suffering from ldquotoxic stressrdquo a
severe form of psychological trauma that can cause life-
long damage according to a study that charts a rise in self-harm and suicide attempts
among children as young as 12 hellip More than 70 of children interviewed experienced
common symptoms of ldquotoxic stressrdquo or post-traumatic stress disorder such as bedwetting
the study found Loss of speech aggression and substance abuse are also commonplace
About 48 of adults reported seeing children who have lost the ability to speak or who
have developed speech impediments since the war began hellip The majority of children
interviewed showed signs of ldquosevere emotional stressrdquo and 78 of them felt grief and
extreme sadness some of the time The Guardian
top of page
USEUCOM
EuropeUS Mutual Recognition promises new
framework for pharmaceutical inspections for United
States and European Union
2 March - The United States and the European Union (EU) completed an exchange of letters
to amend the Pharmaceutical Annex to the 1998 US-EU Mutual Recognition Agreement
Under this agreement US and EU regulators will be able to utilize each otherrsquos good
manufacturing practice inspections of pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities The
17
amended agreement represents the culmination of nearly three years of US Food and Drug
Administration and EU cooperation as part of the Mutual Reliance Initiative and will allow
the FDA and EU drug inspectors to rely upon information from drug inspections conducted
within each otherrsquos borders Ultimately this will enable the FDA and EU to avoid the
duplication of drug inspections lower inspection costs and enable regulators to devote
more resources to other parts of the world where there may be greater risk FDA
Israel marijuana Users to face fine rather than criminal
charge
5 March - The Israeli government has taken steps to reduce the penalties for personal
marijuana use It backed plans to issue fines initially and only resort to criminal charges for
repeat offenders Selling buying and producing the drug will remain illegal and the move
must still be ratified by parliament According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime almost
9 of Israelis use cannabis though some experts believe the figure to be higher The move
follows recommendations by a committee set up to study the issue and moves by a
number of US states and European nations to decriminalise use of the drug BBC News
Romania Measles outbreak in Romania - ECDC assesses
the risk of spread to and sustained transmission in
EUEEA countries
7 March - An outbreak of measles is ongoing in Romania From the end of September 2016
to 17 February 2017 the Romanian National Institute of Public Health received reports of
3071 cases of measles Cases continue to be reported despite ongoing response measures
at national level through reinforced vaccination activities hellip Considering the size and
geographical spread of the ongoing measles outbreak in Romania the likelihood of
exportation of measles cases is high Between 1 February 2016 and 31 January 2017 ECDC
received reports of 4484 cases of measles from 30 EUEEA countries hellip Given that the
vaccination coverage target [of 95] is still to be reached in a number of EUEEA countries
the risk of spread and sustained transmission from areas where measles transmission is
occurring in areas with susceptible populations is high Eurosurveillance
Romania Romanias healthcare exodus
9 March - hellip Romania has bled out tens of thousands of doctors nurses dentists and
pharmacists since joining the European Union a decade ago lured abroad by what the
country lacks significantly higher pay modern infrastructure and functional healthcare
systems France Germany and Britain are among the most popular destinations The
consequences are dire Romania is one of the EU states with the fewest doctors Nearly a
third of hospital positions are vacant and the health ministry estimates one in four
Romanians has insufficient access to essential healthcare hellip This despite the fact that
Romania is a leading EU state when it comes to the number of medical graduates Reuters
18
Switzerland Measles outbreaks continue to plague
Switzerland
28 February - Switzerland is on track to see the most cases of measles in years in 2017
Vaccinations are on the rise but the government recently admitted its eradication strategy
has failed In 1987 the Federal Health Office announced a vaccination strategy that it hoped
would eradicate measles by the year 2000 Seventeen years after that deadline the
vaccination rate lies at 87 below the 95 that the World Health Organization deems a
target for eradication Daniel Koch head of the infectious disease unit at the Federal Health
Office told swissinfoch that ldquothe number of people who are vaccinated has been
consistently rising but wersquore not yet where we want to berdquo Over the past several decades
Switzerland has had significant outbreaks roughly every four years In a long-term outbreak
between 2006 and 2009 Switzerland reached the highest measles rate in Europe with 4371
registered cases SWI
United Kingdom Nestleacute to remove 10 of sugar from all
snacks in UK and Ireland by 2018
7 March - Nestleacute one of the worldrsquos biggest chocolate manufacturers will take 10 of the
sugar out of its confectionery in the UK and Ireland by 2018 The corporation says the cut is
from the levels existing in its sugary products in 2015 and will amount to about 7500
tonnes The announcement follows public concern over the quantity of sugar in the
countryrsquos diet and its contribution to rising obesity levels The threat of a sugar levy on soft
drinks has encouraged the reformulation of Irn Bru and Lucozade which will escape the tax
although there have been no such moves by PepsiCo or Coca-Cola hellip Nestleacute says it will not
use artificial sweeteners in its confectionery Instead it plans to replace sugar with higher
quantities of existing ingredients or other non-artificial ingredients and ensuring products
are below a certain amount of calories The Guardian
top of page
USNORTHCOM
Canada Dallaire testifies mefloquine drug impaired
thought process in Rwanda
7 March - The Canadian army officer who led the UN peacekeeping mission during the
Rwandan genocide says the antimalarial drug mefloquine affected his thought processes
during his deployment but the military refused to let him stop taking it Romeacuteo Dallaire the
human rights activist retired lieutenant-general and former senator who speaks openly
about his struggles with post-traumatic stress syndrome told the Commons veterans affairs
19
committee this week that mefloquine interferes with the ability to make quick decisions in
military theatres hellip Soldiers who were given mefloquine in Somalia in the early 1990s as
part of a poorly administered ndash and possibly illegal ndash clinical trial run by the Department of
National Defence have told the veterans affairs committee that the medication caused
lasting brain damage hellip Health Canada began in December to review available information
about any causal link between the use of mefloquine and persistent neurological or
psychiatric adverse events their frequency and severity and whether any particular segment
of the population is at increased risk The Globe and Mail
US CDC wants better data to manage global
communicable diseases
6 March - To better understand how diseases travel with international airline passengers
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is seeking advanced global aviation
intelligence data and analytical tools to enhance the agencyrsquos ability to analyze global
aviation patterns In a request for proposals posted Feb 16 the CDC said it needs more
advanced data and tools because air travel has become an increasingly common conduit for
the spread of disease ldquoThe need is immediate and ongoing for a single secure and web-
based global aviation database and analytical application to support analysis of aviation
global capacity and domestic and international passenger traffic (historical and future)rdquo the
RFP said GCN
US EPA chief unconvinced on CO2 link to global
warming
9 March - The new head of the Environmental Protection Agency said on Thursday he is not
convinced that carbon dioxide from human activity is the main driver of climate change and
said he wants Congress to weigh in on whether CO2 is a harmful pollutant that should be
regulated In an interview with CNBC EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt said the Trump
administration will make an announcement on fuel efficiency standards for cars very soon
stressing that he and President Donald Trump believe current standards were rushed
through Pruitt 48 is a climate change denier who sued the agency he now leads more than
a dozen times as Oklahomas attorney general He said he was not convinced that carbon
dioxide pollution from burning fossil fuels like oil gas and coal is the main cause of climate
change a conclusion widely embraced by scientists Reuters
US EPA environmental justice leader resigns amid
White House plans to dismantle program
9 March - A key environmental justice leader at the Environmental Protection Agency has
resigned saying that a recent budget proposal to defund such work would harm the people
who most rely on the EPA Mustafa Ali a senior advisor and assistant associate
administrator for environmental justice has served more than two decades at the agency
working to ease the burden of air and water pollution in hundreds of poor minority
20
communities nationwide He helped found the EPArsquos environmental justice office during the
early 1990s and became a key adviser to agency administrators under Republican and
Democratic presidents hellip [T]he White House is seeking to close the agencyrsquos Office of
Environmental Justice hellip [T]he new administration hellip ldquoassumes any future EJ specific policy
work can be transferred to the Office of Policyrdquo The Washington Post
US FDA has encouraged development but needs to
clarify the role of draft guidance and develop qualified
infectious disease product guidance
January 2017 - Antibiotics have long played a key role in treating infections but this role is
threatened by growing resistance to existing antibiotics and the decline in the development
of new drugs hellip The [Generating Antibiotic Incentives Now (GAIN)] provisions created the
[qualified infectious disease products (QIDP)] designation and its associated incentives to
encourage the development of new drugs to treat serious or life-threatening infections
While it is too soon to tell if GAIN has stimulated the development of new drugs GAO was
asked to provide information on FDArsquos efforts to implement GAIN hellip GAO recommends that
FDA clarify the role of draft guidance for and develop written guidance on the QIDP
designation to help drug sponsors better understand the designation and its associated
incentives HHS said it would consider GAOrsquos first recommendation and agreed with the
second GAO believes the first recommendation should also be adopted GAO
US Forbidding forecast for Lyme disease in the
northeast
6 March - hellip [Rick] Keesing and [Felicia] Ostfeld who have
studied Lyme for more than 20 years have come up with an
early warning system for the disease They can predict how
many cases there will be a year in advance by looking at one
key measurement Count the mice the year before The
number of critters scampering around the forest in the
summer correlates to the Lyme cases the following summer theyve reported The
explanation is simple Mice are highly efficient transmitters of Lyme They infect up to 95
percent of ticks that feed on them Mice are responsible for infecting the majority of ticks
carrying Lyme in the Northeast And ticks love mice An individual mouse might have 50
60 even 100 ticks covering its ears and face Ostfeld says So that mouse plague last year
means there is going to be a Lyme plague this year NPR
US Obamacare repeal guts crucial public health funds
8 March - The latest Republican health-care bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act would
eliminate funds for fundamental public health programs including for the prevention of
bioterrorism and disease outbreaks as well as money to provide immunizations and heart-
disease screenings As part of the ACA or Obamacare the Prevention and Public Health
21
Fund provides almost $1 billion annually to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Since 2010 the fund has been an increasingly important source of money for core CDC
programs today accounting for about 12 percent of the CDCrsquos total budget The GOP bill
would eliminate the Prevention and Public Health Fund starting in October of next year No
clear replacement has been proposed The Washington Post
US Patients demand the right to try experimental
drugs but costs can be steep 3 March - In the last three years 33 US states have passed laws aimed at helping dying
people get easier access to experimental treatments that are still in the early stages of
human testing Supporters say these patients are just looking for the right to try these
treatments Such laws sound compassionate but medical ethicists warn they pose
worrisome risks to the health and finances of vulnerable patients hellip Dr R Adams Dudley
director of UCSFs Center for Healthcare Value [says] If we take the FDA out of it how do
we protect people from physicians or drug companies that will want to sell them things and
will want to prey on their desperation hellip Patients could spend huge amounts of money
trying a drug that hasnt been proved to work he says And the patient may also be giving
up their hopes for a controlled peaceful death at home NPR
US Ten million lives saved by 1962 breakthrough study
says 3 March - Nearly 200 million cases of polio measles mumps rubella varicella adenovirus
rabies and hepatitis Amdashand approximately 450000 deaths from these diseasesmdashwere
prevented in the US alone between 1963 and 2015 by vaccination researchers estimate
In 1963 vaccination against these infections became widespread thanks to the
development of a human cell strain that allowed vaccines to be produced safely Globally
the vaccines developed from this strain and its derivatives prevented an estimated 45
billion cases of disease and saved more than 10 million lives Author S Jay Olshansky
professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of Illinois at Chicago School of
Public Health hellip used previously-published data on cases and deaths for each disease in the
US in 1960 before vaccines were available for these diseases Medical Xpress
US US skin disease burden expected to increase 3 March - More than one-fourth of Americans (27) were seen by a physician for skin
disease in 2013 and they averaged 16 skin diseases each researchers found Skin disease
costs at least $75 billion to treat in a single year and is an especially big problem in the 65-
and-older population which tends to get more skin diseases due to lifelong cumulative sun
exposure and increasing susceptibility to bacterial viral and fungal diseases With the
projected increase in the age group 65 years and older in the US population combined
with the increased costs of currently in-use and newly developed dermatologic treatment
options the economic burden of skin disease will continue to grow the investigators
wrote MedPage Today
top of page
22
USPACOM
India India abortion - police find 19 female foetuses
6 March - Police in the western Indian state of Maharashtra have found 19 aborted female
foetuses near a hospital Senior police officials in Sangli district said the remains were
buried with the intention of disposing them The police told the BBC that they found the
foetuses while they were investigating the death of a woman who had undergone an illegal
abortion Activists say the incident proves yet again that female foeticide is rampant in India
despite awareness campaigns The police said that the woman had died in a botched
abortion and they were looking for the foetus near a local hospital when they made the
grisly discovery It appears to be an abortion racket We have arrested the husband of the
woman and have launched a manhunt for the doctor who has gone missing Dattatray
Shinde superintendent of police told the BBC BBC News
India Missing the signals - Indiarsquos anti-vaccination social
media campaign
7 March - India recently launched a one-month campaign to vaccinate over 35 million
9-month to 15-year old children with a measles-rubella vaccine across five states The
campaign marked the start of a two-year initiative aiming to vaccinate over 400 million
children across India ndash part of a larger global effort to eliminate measles and rubella By the
end of the first month of the campaign it became clear that it was struggling to meet its
goal A different kind of campaign was circulating on WhatsApp and Facebook ndash fuelling a
mix of conspiracy theories safety concerns and questioning around why the vaccine and
the campaign were needed Whatrsquos more the rumours were taking hold in the wealthier
southern states with generally the best education and health indicators in the country
The Vaccine Confidence Project
Myanmar Tuberculosis kills 14 in Myanmarrsquos remote
north
9 March - At least 14 people have died from pulmonary tuberculosis in a remote and
impoverished region in Myanmarrsquos north this year according to officials Thursday The
illness characterized by a persistent cough has hit two villages in Lahe Township of the
mountainous Naga region located around 1300 kilometers (800 miles) from Myanmarrsquos
largest city Yangon Maung Kal a lawmaker representing the area told Anadolu Agency on
Thursday that 14 middle-aged people -- including six women -- have succumbed to the
disease over the past two months hellip According to World Health Organization (WHO)
estimates more than 150000 people suffer from tuberculosis in Myanmar which is
currently included in a list of 30 countries recognized as high-burden with the infectious
respiratory disease Anadolu Agency
top of page
23
USSOUTHCOM
Brazil WHO expands vaccination advice as yellow fever
covers southeast Brazil state
7 March - The entire Brazilian state of Espirito Santo is now considered at risk for yellow
fever transmission the World Health Organization says raising concerns the deadly virus
could spread to the nations biggest cities An ongoing yellow fever outbreak has so far
been limited to rural areas hellip [b]ut there are growing concerns the virus could spread to
urban centers like Rio de Janeiro Sao Paulo Belo Horizonte and Vitoria - areas where tens
of millions live Reuters
Ecuador Leads desperate artisans
Spring 2017 - hellip Lead has been used in ceramic glazes for thousands of years for its
beautiful and strong finishmdashbut more importantlymdashbecause it enables the glaze to melt at
a lower temperature facilitating the use of backyard low-fire kilns In La Victoria to get the
lead for these glazes artisans turned to the lead plates from car batteries manually
removing them and melting them down in their kilns This process aerosolized the lead
enabling it to be inhaled by people and distributed across the environment widely
contaminating soil foods objects and homes hellip [Edgar] Neto tells me that environmental
health inspections should be done in La Victoria every three months but there are no police
to enforce the environmental laws Although no one in La Victoria tells stories of fines levied
for crimes against the environment the social structure within the political and artisan
associations here is strong and much of the lead use among artisans has changed hellip While
excessive exposure and acute lead toxicity may have abated leadrsquos potential for health
problems continuesmdashin the form of chronic exposure Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health
top of page
24
US Military | Global | Influenza | VeterinaryFood Safety | Wellness | Contact Us
USAFRICOM | USCENTCOM | USEUCOM | USNORTHCOM | USPACOM | USSOUTHCOM
The Army Public Health Weekly Update does not analyze the information as to its strategic or tactical impact on the US Army and is not a medical
intelligence product Medical intelligence is available from the National Center for Medical Intelligence
External Links The appearance of external hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the US Army of this Web site or the information products
or services contained therein For other than authorized activities such as military exchanges and MWR sites the US Army does not exercise any
editorial control over the information you may find at these locations Such links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of this product
Although we avoid links to sites that may be blocked all sites may not be accessible from all locations While we verify the links at the time of
publication we cannot guarantee that they will be active in the future
Articles appearing in the Update do not necessarily represent US Army Medical Command opinionsviews policy or guidance and should not be
construed or interpreted as being endorsed by the US Army Medical Command
The Army Public Health Weekly Update is published by the Public Health Information Directorate Army Public Health Center
8
incidence of 129 (range 110 to 154) They further estimated that 69675 women of
reproductive age were infected in that time span or 97 of the total population of such
women
CIDRAP News Scan (first item)
Zika case counts in the US
Data reported to ArboNET for January 1 2015 ndash March 8 2017 CDC
US States
5109 Zika virus disease cases reported
4813 cases in travelers returning from affected
areas
221 cases acquired through presumed local
mosquito-borne transmission in Florida
(N=215) and Texas (N=6)
75 cases acquired through other routes
including sexual transmission (N=45)
congenital infection (N=28) laboratory
transmission (N=1) and person-to-person
through an unknown route (N=1)
US Territories
38099 Zika virus disease cases reported
147 cases in travelers returning from affected
areas
37952 cases acquired through presumed local
mosquito-borne transmission
0 cases acquired through other routes
Sexually transmitted cases are not reported for
US territories because with local transmission of
Zika virus it is not possible to determine
whether infection occurred due to mosquito-
borne or sexual transmission
top of page
INFLUENZA
APHC US Army Influenza Activity Report
For the week ending 25 February 2017 (Week 8)
Overall influenza activity and positive influenza A samples decreased in Army and civilian
populations
ILI Activity Army ILI (influenza-like illness) outpatient visits in week 8 were 13
higher than the same week last year
Influenza cases Seven hospitalized influenza-associated cases were reported to
APHC through DRSi in week 7 and all were non-AD beneficiaries
Viral specimens During week 8 980 of 2894 (34) lab specimens tested positive for
respiratory pathogens Of 697 influenza A-positive specimens RHC-A reported 402
(577) followed by RHC-C (254 364) RHC-P (25 36) RHC-E (15 22) and
CENTCOM (1 01) APHC
CDC Flu View - Weekly US Influenza Surveillance
Report
During week 8 (February 19-25 2017) influenza activity remained elevated in the United
9
States
Viral Surveillance The most frequently identified influenza virus subtype reported
by public health laboratories during week 8 was influenza A (H3) The percentage of
respiratory specimens testing positive for influenza in clinical laboratories remained
elevated
Pneumonia and Influenza Mortality The proportion of deaths attributed to
pneumonia and influenza (PampI) was above the system-specific epidemic threshold
in the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) Mortality Surveillance System
Influenza-associated Pediatric Deaths Six influenza-associated pediatric deaths
were reported CDC
ECDC Flu News Europe
Week 82017 (20-26 February 2017)
Influenza activity across the region while decreasing remained above levels
observed during the out of season period
The proportion of influenza virus detections among sentinel surveillance specimens
decreased to 33 from 38 in the previous week
The great majority of detected and subtyped influenza viruses were A(H3N2) and
while the proportion of type B viruses increased as commonly seen in the second
half of an influenza season their numbers remained low
The number of hospitalized laboratory-confirmed influenza cases reported
primarily in people aged 65 years or older continued to decrease
European Center for Disease Prevention and ControlWHO
Increase in human infections with avian influenza
A(H7N9) Virus during the fifth epidemic mdash China
October 2016ndashFebruary 2017
10 March - During March 2013ndashFebruary 24 2017 annual epidemics of avian influenza
A(H7N9) in China resulted in 1258 avian influenza A(H7N9) virus infections in humans being
reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) by the National Health and Family
Planning Commission of China and other regional sources During the first four epidemics
88 of patients developed pneumonia 68 were admitted to an intensive care unit and
41 died Candidate vaccine viruses (CVVs) were developed and vaccine was manufactured
based on representative viruses detected after the emergence of A(H7N9) virus in humans
in 2013 During the ongoing fifth epidemic (beginning October 1 2016) 460 human
infections with A(H7N9) virus have been reported hellip Although the clinical characteristics
and risk factors for human infections do not appear to have changed the reported human
infections during the fifth epidemic represent a significant increase compared with the first
four epidemics Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Update
NHRC Febrile Respiratory Illness Surveillance Update
For the week ending 2 January 2016
10
Influenza Fourteen cases of NHRC laboratory-confirmed influenza (AH3) among
US military basic trainees
FRI surveillance at all eight US military basic training centers indicated FRI rates
were elevated at Fort Jackson NRTC Great Lakes MCRD Parris Island Lackland AFB
and CGTC Cape May Naval Health Research Center
USAFSAM amp DHA DoD Global Laboratory-Based
Influenza Surveillance Program
During 12 - 25 February 2017 (Surveillance Weeks 7 amp 8) a total of 570 specimens were
collected from 49 locations Results were finalized for 455 specimens from 44 locations
During Week 7 one influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 144 influenza A(H3N2) and 28 influenza B
viruses were identified During Week 8 three influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 91 influenza
A(H3N2) one influenza A(H3N2) amp Influenza B and 14 influenza B viruses were identified
Approximately 50 of specimens tested positive for influenza during Week 7
Approximately 50 of specimens tested positive for influenza during Week 8 The influenza
percent positive for the season is approximately 35
US Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine amp Defense Health Agency
USDA has $80 million-$90 million to fight bird flu
9 March - The US Department of Agriculture has $80 million to $90 million left over from
the last major outbreak of bird flu to fight any new discoveries of the virus the
departments chief veterinary officer said on Thursday USDA must appeal to Congress if
more money is needed to fight the disease which was recently found in two US states and
also has been confirmed across Asia and in Europe Any potential request for emergency
funding is complicated as US President Donald Trumps choice for the position has not yet
been confirmed by the Senate Reuters
WHO Influenza Update
6 March - Influenza activity in the temperate zone of the northern hemisphere continued to
be elevated in some countries Influenza activity in many countries especially in East Asia
and Europe appeared to have already peaked Worldwide influenza A(H3N2) virus was
predominant The majority of influenza viruses characterized so far were similar antigenically
to the reference viruses contained in vaccines for use in the 2016-2017 northern hemisphere
influenza season Nearly all tested viruses collected recently for antiviral sensitivity were
susceptible to the neuraminidase inhibitor antiviral medications WHO
top of page
11
VETERINARYFOOD SAFETY
2 dead in multi-state Listeria outbreak traced to Vulto
cheese
9 March - Two people are dead and four others are confirmed sick with a strain of Listeria
monocytogenes found in cheese made from unpasteurized raw milk Vulto Creamery is
recalling the cheese from retailers and distributors nationwide Itrsquos been more than five
months since the first outbreak victim became sick on Sept 1 2016 but federal officials said
Jos Vulto owner of the Walton NY cheese operation initiated the recall as soon as he heard
about the ldquocannot rule outrdquo test results on his cheese He began pulling cheese back from
his customers March 3 and posted the public recall Tuesday Since then the Food and Drug
Administration has confirmed Listeria monocytogenes in Vultorsquos finished product hellip The
most recent illness began on Jan 22 Food Safety News
fMRI predicts if Fido is fit for service
7 March - Using functional MRI to identify certain areas of brain activity helped improved
predictions about which dogs were not suitable for service dog training a small study
found hellip [R]esearchers said they used fMRI on 43 service dogs prior to training -- 33 of
which completed training and were matched with a person and 10 of which were released
for behavioral reasons Dogs with a higher level of response in the amygdala an area of the
brain linked with excitability were more likely to fail the service training program This was a
modest improvement over current prediction methods that involve evaluating the dogs
temperament MedPage Today
Four more states report soy nut butter E coli infections
8 March - Four more people from four additional states became infected with Shiga toxin-
producing E coli O157H7 bacteria after consuming a certain brand of soy nut butter and
granola according to the CDC Missouri Virginia Washington and Wisconsin have all
reported individuals becoming ill after consuming IM Healthy Brand SoyNut Butter --
bringing the total affected to 16 Two additional people have been hospitalized with
hemolytic uremic syndrome All five individuals with this type of kidney failure were
children a CDC investigation found MedPage Today
The military kills 8500 pigs and goats every year for
medical training A new bill would end that
4 March - A bipartisan group of lawmakers is trying to stop the Defense Department from
killing about 8500 goats and pigs a year in medical training exercises designed to prepare
troops for combat Rep Hank Johnson D-Ga and Rep Tom Marino R-Pa introduced a bill
on Tuesday that would require the military to use only human-based methods to train
service members to treat injuries sustained on the battlefield and end the use of live tissue
12
training in which troops stab or shoot pigs and goats to simulate the treatment of combat
trauma by Oct 1 2020 Johnson told the Washington Examiner he intends to raise the issue
during debate on the fiscal 2018 National Defense Authorization Act and hopes to use the
must-pass bill as a vehicle to ban live-tissue training He said simulators offer better combat
training than live animals are more humane and are ultimately more cost-effective
Washington Examiner
top of page
WELLNESS
Arthritis afflicts about 1 in 4 adults in the US CDC
report finds
7 March - About one in four adults in the United States suffers from arthritis according to a
new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Vital Signs report published Tuesday Of
the 54 million people in the United States who have this debilitating condition not all are
elderly About 60 percent of those with arthritis were between the ages of 18 and 64 that is
working age Activity limitations from arthritis increased by 20 percent since 2002 the
report found Simple everyday tasks such as walking or lifting bags are challenging for 24
million people affected by the condition in the United States Even though movement is
painful and difficult for people with arthritis the report suggests that increased physical
activity can mitigate arthritis symptoms by 40 percent Despite the proven health benefits of
physical activity for arthritis symptoms about 1 in 3 adults with arthritis in the United States
self-reports being physically inactive The Washington Post
Is dieting passeacute Study finds fewer overweight people try
to lose weight
8 March - An increasing number of overweight Americans have lost the motivation to diet
according to a new study hellip Back in 1990 when researchers asked overweight Americans if
they were trying to lose weight 56 percent said yes But this has changed According to the
latest data just 49 percent say theyre trying This may not seem like a big decline But given
that about 2 out of every 3 Americans are either overweight or obese a decline of 7 percent
means millions more people may have given up on dieting The trend is particularly evident
among black women says study author Jian Zhang an epidemiologist at Georgia Southern
University mdash though the trend is seen across the population hellip Its a big concern study
author Jian Zhang told us Obesity increases the risk of a whole range of diseases and
theres a concern that people who are overweight and obese may be ignoring or
overlooking the risks Not everyone is convinced that the dip in dieting is bad Theres a
possible good news story in this says Janet Tomiyama a psychologist at UCLA who studies
eating behavior and weight stigma hellip Tomiyama says there are signs that the strong anti-fat
13
bias in our culture may be shifting NPR
Poor diet tied to nearly half of US deaths from heart
disease stroke diabetes
7 March - Ensuring that diets include the right amount of certain foods may help the US
cut deaths from heart disease stroke and type 2 diabetes by almost half suggests a new
study About 45 percent of deaths from those causes in 2012 could be blamed on people
eating too much or too little of 10 types of foods researchers found hellip [Renata] Micha and
colleagues identified 10 dietary components closely tied to heart disease stroke and type 2
diabetes sodium fruits vegetables whole grains nuts and seeds unprocessed red meats
processed meats polyunsaturated fats like soybean or corn oils seafood omega-3 fats and
sugar-sweetened beverages Based on participants food diaries the researchers estimated
that 318656 of the 702308 deaths from heart disease stroke or type 2 diabetes were tied
to people getting too much or too little of those 10 foods or dietary factors Reuters
Significant differences among occupational groups found
in short sleep duration
7 March - According to a new study published in the CDCrsquos Morbidity and Mortality Weekly
Report there are big differences in the amount of sleep people get depending on their
occupation ldquoWe found that overall prevalence of short sleep duration was 365 percent
among the working adults who responded to the survey ndash but sleep duration varied widely
by occupationrdquo said study author Taylor Shockey MPH of CDCrsquos National Institute for
Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) ldquoWorkers in occupations where alternative
shiftwork is common such as production health care and some transportation jobs were
more likely to have a higher adjusted prevalence of short sleep duration Workers in other
occupation groups such as teachers farmers or pilots were the most likely to report
getting enough sleeprdquo Among the 22 major occupational groups that were researched the
prevalence of short sleep duration ranged from 429 percent for production workers to 313
percent among workers in the farming fishing and forestry occupation group as well as the
education training and library occupation group Other groups that were found to have a
high percentage of short sleep durations include health care support health care
practitioners and technical food preparation and serving-related and protective service
Occupational Health amp Safety
The grateful life may be a longer one
7 March - Can a positive attitude save your life Therersquos not conclusive evidence but hints
are tantalizing enough that researchers hellip are trying to find out ldquoA lot of the long-term
research says if yoursquore an optimist yoursquore more likely to have better healthrdquo says Jeff
Huffman ldquoLetrsquos say yoursquore not an optimist mdash can we turn you into one Can we promote
that and teach that in a durable way [And] will it really work [to improve health] Itrsquos a big
and open questionrdquo The Cardiac Psychiatry Research Program combines exercises designed
to promote positive psychology in cardiac and diabetes patients with techniques known to
14
change behavior such as goal-setting to encourage patients to adhere to medication
regimens improve their diets and become more active The best chance for a positive
outlook to affect health is by promoting exercise Huffman says Harvard Gazette
Warm-ups cool-downs what works what doesnrsquot
8 March - hellip [S]cientists hellip decided to systematically
examine the effects of some of the worldrsquos best-known
warm-up programs the FIFA 11 and its recent update the
FIFA 11+ hellip [T]he original FIFA 11 warm-up is light and
quick lasting about 10 minutes and involving various
kinds of jumping shuffling and balancing exercises The
updated FIFA 11+ is more intense requiring repeated sprints and exercises such as squats
leg lifts and vertical leaps hellip [T]he new study systematically pooled data from the best
earlier studies Those boys girls men and women who regularly completed the FIFA 11+
warm-up before training or games were about 40 percent less likely to sustain knee ankle
hamstring and hip or groin injuries during the season than athletes who warmed up in
other ways Interestingly the easier FIFA 11 warm-up did not substantially reduce the
incidence of subsequent injuries The New York Times
top of page
USAFRICOM
Somalia says 110 dead in last 48 hours due to drought
4 March - Some 110 people have died in southern Somalia in the last two days from famine
and diarrhea resulting from a drought the prime minister said on Saturday as the area
braces itself for widespread shortages of food In February United Nations childrens agency
UNICEF said the drought in Somalia could lead to up to 270000 children suffering from
severe acute malnutrition this year It is a difficult situation for the pastoralists and their
livestock Some people have been hit by famine and diarrhea at the same time In the last
48 hours 110 people died due to famine and diarrhea in Bay region Prime Minister Hassan
Ali Khaires office said in a statement Reuters
South Sudan South Sudan will now charge $10000 for
an aid worker permit Why
7 March - Late last month famine was declared in two counties of the civil-war torn East
African country of South Sudan With 100000 people at risk for dying of starvation in that
area alone and millions more on the brink of crisis-level food shortages throughout the
country South Sudanese President Salva Kiir promised unimpeded access to humanitarian
aid organizations working there A few days later the South Sudanese government hiked the
15
fee for work permits for foreign aid workers from $100 to $10000 Its unclear whether the
fee would apply only to newcomers or to those already there as well Whatever the case the
amount is absolutely unheard of globally said Julien Schopp director for Humanitarian
Practice at InterAction an alliance of 180 nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) working
around the world No organization can afford this and if NGOs go to their institutional
donors to request that extra money Im pretty sure that [the donors] will be reluctant to pay
this because they will see this to some extent as ransom NPR
top of page
USCENTCOM
Afghanistan Afghan fighting pressures hospitals clinics
- childrens rights group
6 March - Hospitals and clinics in Afghanistan have increasingly been targeted by armed
groups over the past two years weakening an already degraded health system a childrens
rights group said in a report issued on Monday Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict
said attacks had further restricted or even blocked medical care in a country where almost a
third of the population of more than 30 million lacks access to basic health services Armed
groups had forced temporary or permanent closure of medical facilities damaged or
destroyed medical facilities looted medical supplies stolen ambulances threatened
intimidated extorted or detained medical personnel and occupied medical facilities for
military purposes it said The report hellip said there were 119 conflict-related incidents
targeting medical facilities and personnel last year quoting a figure from the United
Nations Mission in Afghanistan Reuters
Afghanistan ISIS militants disguised as doctors kill 38 in
Kabul hospital attack
8 March - Islamic State has claimed responsibility for an attack on a Kabul military hospital
by gunmen disguised as doctors who breached the facility and battled security forces for
hours More than 30 people died and dozens more were injured the Afghan defence
ministry said The attack began with a suicide bombing at the rear of the hospital complex
in the Afghan capital Officials said at least three gunmen dressed as medical staff then
entered the 400-bed Sardar Mohammad Daud Khan facility and took up positions on the
upper floors A second explosion was heard as Afghan special forces engaged the gunmen
and ldquoheavy fightingrdquo ensued a defence ministry spokesman said The Guardian
Iraq ISIS allegedly used chemical weapons in Mosul
battle injuring civilians
6 March - ISIS militants used chemical weapons during the battle for the city of Mosul last
16
week injuring a number of civilians according to a senior Iraqi security official The officials
assessment comes after the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) issued a
statement last week saying that their workers had treated patients from Mosul who were
suffering from symptoms consistent with exposure to a toxic chemical agent Over a
number of days last week the ICRC said it treated 15 such patients hellip It was certainly [the
result of] a toxic chemical agent because their symptoms were absolutely clear People had
blisters they vomited They had irritation in the eyes and coughed she added The World
Health Organization said in a statement that hellip the use of chemical weapons is a war
crime Both the WHO and ICRC said that the patients symptoms were consistent with
exposure to a blistering agent NBC News
Syria Syrian children suffer staggering levels of trauma
and distress ndash report
6 March - A Save the Children study says Syriarsquos mental
health crisis has reached a tipping point and that severe
distress among children could cause life-long damage
The report says 58 million of children in Syria are in need
of aid Children in Syria are suffering from ldquotoxic stressrdquo a
severe form of psychological trauma that can cause life-
long damage according to a study that charts a rise in self-harm and suicide attempts
among children as young as 12 hellip More than 70 of children interviewed experienced
common symptoms of ldquotoxic stressrdquo or post-traumatic stress disorder such as bedwetting
the study found Loss of speech aggression and substance abuse are also commonplace
About 48 of adults reported seeing children who have lost the ability to speak or who
have developed speech impediments since the war began hellip The majority of children
interviewed showed signs of ldquosevere emotional stressrdquo and 78 of them felt grief and
extreme sadness some of the time The Guardian
top of page
USEUCOM
EuropeUS Mutual Recognition promises new
framework for pharmaceutical inspections for United
States and European Union
2 March - The United States and the European Union (EU) completed an exchange of letters
to amend the Pharmaceutical Annex to the 1998 US-EU Mutual Recognition Agreement
Under this agreement US and EU regulators will be able to utilize each otherrsquos good
manufacturing practice inspections of pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities The
17
amended agreement represents the culmination of nearly three years of US Food and Drug
Administration and EU cooperation as part of the Mutual Reliance Initiative and will allow
the FDA and EU drug inspectors to rely upon information from drug inspections conducted
within each otherrsquos borders Ultimately this will enable the FDA and EU to avoid the
duplication of drug inspections lower inspection costs and enable regulators to devote
more resources to other parts of the world where there may be greater risk FDA
Israel marijuana Users to face fine rather than criminal
charge
5 March - The Israeli government has taken steps to reduce the penalties for personal
marijuana use It backed plans to issue fines initially and only resort to criminal charges for
repeat offenders Selling buying and producing the drug will remain illegal and the move
must still be ratified by parliament According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime almost
9 of Israelis use cannabis though some experts believe the figure to be higher The move
follows recommendations by a committee set up to study the issue and moves by a
number of US states and European nations to decriminalise use of the drug BBC News
Romania Measles outbreak in Romania - ECDC assesses
the risk of spread to and sustained transmission in
EUEEA countries
7 March - An outbreak of measles is ongoing in Romania From the end of September 2016
to 17 February 2017 the Romanian National Institute of Public Health received reports of
3071 cases of measles Cases continue to be reported despite ongoing response measures
at national level through reinforced vaccination activities hellip Considering the size and
geographical spread of the ongoing measles outbreak in Romania the likelihood of
exportation of measles cases is high Between 1 February 2016 and 31 January 2017 ECDC
received reports of 4484 cases of measles from 30 EUEEA countries hellip Given that the
vaccination coverage target [of 95] is still to be reached in a number of EUEEA countries
the risk of spread and sustained transmission from areas where measles transmission is
occurring in areas with susceptible populations is high Eurosurveillance
Romania Romanias healthcare exodus
9 March - hellip Romania has bled out tens of thousands of doctors nurses dentists and
pharmacists since joining the European Union a decade ago lured abroad by what the
country lacks significantly higher pay modern infrastructure and functional healthcare
systems France Germany and Britain are among the most popular destinations The
consequences are dire Romania is one of the EU states with the fewest doctors Nearly a
third of hospital positions are vacant and the health ministry estimates one in four
Romanians has insufficient access to essential healthcare hellip This despite the fact that
Romania is a leading EU state when it comes to the number of medical graduates Reuters
18
Switzerland Measles outbreaks continue to plague
Switzerland
28 February - Switzerland is on track to see the most cases of measles in years in 2017
Vaccinations are on the rise but the government recently admitted its eradication strategy
has failed In 1987 the Federal Health Office announced a vaccination strategy that it hoped
would eradicate measles by the year 2000 Seventeen years after that deadline the
vaccination rate lies at 87 below the 95 that the World Health Organization deems a
target for eradication Daniel Koch head of the infectious disease unit at the Federal Health
Office told swissinfoch that ldquothe number of people who are vaccinated has been
consistently rising but wersquore not yet where we want to berdquo Over the past several decades
Switzerland has had significant outbreaks roughly every four years In a long-term outbreak
between 2006 and 2009 Switzerland reached the highest measles rate in Europe with 4371
registered cases SWI
United Kingdom Nestleacute to remove 10 of sugar from all
snacks in UK and Ireland by 2018
7 March - Nestleacute one of the worldrsquos biggest chocolate manufacturers will take 10 of the
sugar out of its confectionery in the UK and Ireland by 2018 The corporation says the cut is
from the levels existing in its sugary products in 2015 and will amount to about 7500
tonnes The announcement follows public concern over the quantity of sugar in the
countryrsquos diet and its contribution to rising obesity levels The threat of a sugar levy on soft
drinks has encouraged the reformulation of Irn Bru and Lucozade which will escape the tax
although there have been no such moves by PepsiCo or Coca-Cola hellip Nestleacute says it will not
use artificial sweeteners in its confectionery Instead it plans to replace sugar with higher
quantities of existing ingredients or other non-artificial ingredients and ensuring products
are below a certain amount of calories The Guardian
top of page
USNORTHCOM
Canada Dallaire testifies mefloquine drug impaired
thought process in Rwanda
7 March - The Canadian army officer who led the UN peacekeeping mission during the
Rwandan genocide says the antimalarial drug mefloquine affected his thought processes
during his deployment but the military refused to let him stop taking it Romeacuteo Dallaire the
human rights activist retired lieutenant-general and former senator who speaks openly
about his struggles with post-traumatic stress syndrome told the Commons veterans affairs
19
committee this week that mefloquine interferes with the ability to make quick decisions in
military theatres hellip Soldiers who were given mefloquine in Somalia in the early 1990s as
part of a poorly administered ndash and possibly illegal ndash clinical trial run by the Department of
National Defence have told the veterans affairs committee that the medication caused
lasting brain damage hellip Health Canada began in December to review available information
about any causal link between the use of mefloquine and persistent neurological or
psychiatric adverse events their frequency and severity and whether any particular segment
of the population is at increased risk The Globe and Mail
US CDC wants better data to manage global
communicable diseases
6 March - To better understand how diseases travel with international airline passengers
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is seeking advanced global aviation
intelligence data and analytical tools to enhance the agencyrsquos ability to analyze global
aviation patterns In a request for proposals posted Feb 16 the CDC said it needs more
advanced data and tools because air travel has become an increasingly common conduit for
the spread of disease ldquoThe need is immediate and ongoing for a single secure and web-
based global aviation database and analytical application to support analysis of aviation
global capacity and domestic and international passenger traffic (historical and future)rdquo the
RFP said GCN
US EPA chief unconvinced on CO2 link to global
warming
9 March - The new head of the Environmental Protection Agency said on Thursday he is not
convinced that carbon dioxide from human activity is the main driver of climate change and
said he wants Congress to weigh in on whether CO2 is a harmful pollutant that should be
regulated In an interview with CNBC EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt said the Trump
administration will make an announcement on fuel efficiency standards for cars very soon
stressing that he and President Donald Trump believe current standards were rushed
through Pruitt 48 is a climate change denier who sued the agency he now leads more than
a dozen times as Oklahomas attorney general He said he was not convinced that carbon
dioxide pollution from burning fossil fuels like oil gas and coal is the main cause of climate
change a conclusion widely embraced by scientists Reuters
US EPA environmental justice leader resigns amid
White House plans to dismantle program
9 March - A key environmental justice leader at the Environmental Protection Agency has
resigned saying that a recent budget proposal to defund such work would harm the people
who most rely on the EPA Mustafa Ali a senior advisor and assistant associate
administrator for environmental justice has served more than two decades at the agency
working to ease the burden of air and water pollution in hundreds of poor minority
20
communities nationwide He helped found the EPArsquos environmental justice office during the
early 1990s and became a key adviser to agency administrators under Republican and
Democratic presidents hellip [T]he White House is seeking to close the agencyrsquos Office of
Environmental Justice hellip [T]he new administration hellip ldquoassumes any future EJ specific policy
work can be transferred to the Office of Policyrdquo The Washington Post
US FDA has encouraged development but needs to
clarify the role of draft guidance and develop qualified
infectious disease product guidance
January 2017 - Antibiotics have long played a key role in treating infections but this role is
threatened by growing resistance to existing antibiotics and the decline in the development
of new drugs hellip The [Generating Antibiotic Incentives Now (GAIN)] provisions created the
[qualified infectious disease products (QIDP)] designation and its associated incentives to
encourage the development of new drugs to treat serious or life-threatening infections
While it is too soon to tell if GAIN has stimulated the development of new drugs GAO was
asked to provide information on FDArsquos efforts to implement GAIN hellip GAO recommends that
FDA clarify the role of draft guidance for and develop written guidance on the QIDP
designation to help drug sponsors better understand the designation and its associated
incentives HHS said it would consider GAOrsquos first recommendation and agreed with the
second GAO believes the first recommendation should also be adopted GAO
US Forbidding forecast for Lyme disease in the
northeast
6 March - hellip [Rick] Keesing and [Felicia] Ostfeld who have
studied Lyme for more than 20 years have come up with an
early warning system for the disease They can predict how
many cases there will be a year in advance by looking at one
key measurement Count the mice the year before The
number of critters scampering around the forest in the
summer correlates to the Lyme cases the following summer theyve reported The
explanation is simple Mice are highly efficient transmitters of Lyme They infect up to 95
percent of ticks that feed on them Mice are responsible for infecting the majority of ticks
carrying Lyme in the Northeast And ticks love mice An individual mouse might have 50
60 even 100 ticks covering its ears and face Ostfeld says So that mouse plague last year
means there is going to be a Lyme plague this year NPR
US Obamacare repeal guts crucial public health funds
8 March - The latest Republican health-care bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act would
eliminate funds for fundamental public health programs including for the prevention of
bioterrorism and disease outbreaks as well as money to provide immunizations and heart-
disease screenings As part of the ACA or Obamacare the Prevention and Public Health
21
Fund provides almost $1 billion annually to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Since 2010 the fund has been an increasingly important source of money for core CDC
programs today accounting for about 12 percent of the CDCrsquos total budget The GOP bill
would eliminate the Prevention and Public Health Fund starting in October of next year No
clear replacement has been proposed The Washington Post
US Patients demand the right to try experimental
drugs but costs can be steep 3 March - In the last three years 33 US states have passed laws aimed at helping dying
people get easier access to experimental treatments that are still in the early stages of
human testing Supporters say these patients are just looking for the right to try these
treatments Such laws sound compassionate but medical ethicists warn they pose
worrisome risks to the health and finances of vulnerable patients hellip Dr R Adams Dudley
director of UCSFs Center for Healthcare Value [says] If we take the FDA out of it how do
we protect people from physicians or drug companies that will want to sell them things and
will want to prey on their desperation hellip Patients could spend huge amounts of money
trying a drug that hasnt been proved to work he says And the patient may also be giving
up their hopes for a controlled peaceful death at home NPR
US Ten million lives saved by 1962 breakthrough study
says 3 March - Nearly 200 million cases of polio measles mumps rubella varicella adenovirus
rabies and hepatitis Amdashand approximately 450000 deaths from these diseasesmdashwere
prevented in the US alone between 1963 and 2015 by vaccination researchers estimate
In 1963 vaccination against these infections became widespread thanks to the
development of a human cell strain that allowed vaccines to be produced safely Globally
the vaccines developed from this strain and its derivatives prevented an estimated 45
billion cases of disease and saved more than 10 million lives Author S Jay Olshansky
professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of Illinois at Chicago School of
Public Health hellip used previously-published data on cases and deaths for each disease in the
US in 1960 before vaccines were available for these diseases Medical Xpress
US US skin disease burden expected to increase 3 March - More than one-fourth of Americans (27) were seen by a physician for skin
disease in 2013 and they averaged 16 skin diseases each researchers found Skin disease
costs at least $75 billion to treat in a single year and is an especially big problem in the 65-
and-older population which tends to get more skin diseases due to lifelong cumulative sun
exposure and increasing susceptibility to bacterial viral and fungal diseases With the
projected increase in the age group 65 years and older in the US population combined
with the increased costs of currently in-use and newly developed dermatologic treatment
options the economic burden of skin disease will continue to grow the investigators
wrote MedPage Today
top of page
22
USPACOM
India India abortion - police find 19 female foetuses
6 March - Police in the western Indian state of Maharashtra have found 19 aborted female
foetuses near a hospital Senior police officials in Sangli district said the remains were
buried with the intention of disposing them The police told the BBC that they found the
foetuses while they were investigating the death of a woman who had undergone an illegal
abortion Activists say the incident proves yet again that female foeticide is rampant in India
despite awareness campaigns The police said that the woman had died in a botched
abortion and they were looking for the foetus near a local hospital when they made the
grisly discovery It appears to be an abortion racket We have arrested the husband of the
woman and have launched a manhunt for the doctor who has gone missing Dattatray
Shinde superintendent of police told the BBC BBC News
India Missing the signals - Indiarsquos anti-vaccination social
media campaign
7 March - India recently launched a one-month campaign to vaccinate over 35 million
9-month to 15-year old children with a measles-rubella vaccine across five states The
campaign marked the start of a two-year initiative aiming to vaccinate over 400 million
children across India ndash part of a larger global effort to eliminate measles and rubella By the
end of the first month of the campaign it became clear that it was struggling to meet its
goal A different kind of campaign was circulating on WhatsApp and Facebook ndash fuelling a
mix of conspiracy theories safety concerns and questioning around why the vaccine and
the campaign were needed Whatrsquos more the rumours were taking hold in the wealthier
southern states with generally the best education and health indicators in the country
The Vaccine Confidence Project
Myanmar Tuberculosis kills 14 in Myanmarrsquos remote
north
9 March - At least 14 people have died from pulmonary tuberculosis in a remote and
impoverished region in Myanmarrsquos north this year according to officials Thursday The
illness characterized by a persistent cough has hit two villages in Lahe Township of the
mountainous Naga region located around 1300 kilometers (800 miles) from Myanmarrsquos
largest city Yangon Maung Kal a lawmaker representing the area told Anadolu Agency on
Thursday that 14 middle-aged people -- including six women -- have succumbed to the
disease over the past two months hellip According to World Health Organization (WHO)
estimates more than 150000 people suffer from tuberculosis in Myanmar which is
currently included in a list of 30 countries recognized as high-burden with the infectious
respiratory disease Anadolu Agency
top of page
23
USSOUTHCOM
Brazil WHO expands vaccination advice as yellow fever
covers southeast Brazil state
7 March - The entire Brazilian state of Espirito Santo is now considered at risk for yellow
fever transmission the World Health Organization says raising concerns the deadly virus
could spread to the nations biggest cities An ongoing yellow fever outbreak has so far
been limited to rural areas hellip [b]ut there are growing concerns the virus could spread to
urban centers like Rio de Janeiro Sao Paulo Belo Horizonte and Vitoria - areas where tens
of millions live Reuters
Ecuador Leads desperate artisans
Spring 2017 - hellip Lead has been used in ceramic glazes for thousands of years for its
beautiful and strong finishmdashbut more importantlymdashbecause it enables the glaze to melt at
a lower temperature facilitating the use of backyard low-fire kilns In La Victoria to get the
lead for these glazes artisans turned to the lead plates from car batteries manually
removing them and melting them down in their kilns This process aerosolized the lead
enabling it to be inhaled by people and distributed across the environment widely
contaminating soil foods objects and homes hellip [Edgar] Neto tells me that environmental
health inspections should be done in La Victoria every three months but there are no police
to enforce the environmental laws Although no one in La Victoria tells stories of fines levied
for crimes against the environment the social structure within the political and artisan
associations here is strong and much of the lead use among artisans has changed hellip While
excessive exposure and acute lead toxicity may have abated leadrsquos potential for health
problems continuesmdashin the form of chronic exposure Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health
top of page
24
US Military | Global | Influenza | VeterinaryFood Safety | Wellness | Contact Us
USAFRICOM | USCENTCOM | USEUCOM | USNORTHCOM | USPACOM | USSOUTHCOM
The Army Public Health Weekly Update does not analyze the information as to its strategic or tactical impact on the US Army and is not a medical
intelligence product Medical intelligence is available from the National Center for Medical Intelligence
External Links The appearance of external hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the US Army of this Web site or the information products
or services contained therein For other than authorized activities such as military exchanges and MWR sites the US Army does not exercise any
editorial control over the information you may find at these locations Such links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of this product
Although we avoid links to sites that may be blocked all sites may not be accessible from all locations While we verify the links at the time of
publication we cannot guarantee that they will be active in the future
Articles appearing in the Update do not necessarily represent US Army Medical Command opinionsviews policy or guidance and should not be
construed or interpreted as being endorsed by the US Army Medical Command
The Army Public Health Weekly Update is published by the Public Health Information Directorate Army Public Health Center
9
States
Viral Surveillance The most frequently identified influenza virus subtype reported
by public health laboratories during week 8 was influenza A (H3) The percentage of
respiratory specimens testing positive for influenza in clinical laboratories remained
elevated
Pneumonia and Influenza Mortality The proportion of deaths attributed to
pneumonia and influenza (PampI) was above the system-specific epidemic threshold
in the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) Mortality Surveillance System
Influenza-associated Pediatric Deaths Six influenza-associated pediatric deaths
were reported CDC
ECDC Flu News Europe
Week 82017 (20-26 February 2017)
Influenza activity across the region while decreasing remained above levels
observed during the out of season period
The proportion of influenza virus detections among sentinel surveillance specimens
decreased to 33 from 38 in the previous week
The great majority of detected and subtyped influenza viruses were A(H3N2) and
while the proportion of type B viruses increased as commonly seen in the second
half of an influenza season their numbers remained low
The number of hospitalized laboratory-confirmed influenza cases reported
primarily in people aged 65 years or older continued to decrease
European Center for Disease Prevention and ControlWHO
Increase in human infections with avian influenza
A(H7N9) Virus during the fifth epidemic mdash China
October 2016ndashFebruary 2017
10 March - During March 2013ndashFebruary 24 2017 annual epidemics of avian influenza
A(H7N9) in China resulted in 1258 avian influenza A(H7N9) virus infections in humans being
reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) by the National Health and Family
Planning Commission of China and other regional sources During the first four epidemics
88 of patients developed pneumonia 68 were admitted to an intensive care unit and
41 died Candidate vaccine viruses (CVVs) were developed and vaccine was manufactured
based on representative viruses detected after the emergence of A(H7N9) virus in humans
in 2013 During the ongoing fifth epidemic (beginning October 1 2016) 460 human
infections with A(H7N9) virus have been reported hellip Although the clinical characteristics
and risk factors for human infections do not appear to have changed the reported human
infections during the fifth epidemic represent a significant increase compared with the first
four epidemics Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Update
NHRC Febrile Respiratory Illness Surveillance Update
For the week ending 2 January 2016
10
Influenza Fourteen cases of NHRC laboratory-confirmed influenza (AH3) among
US military basic trainees
FRI surveillance at all eight US military basic training centers indicated FRI rates
were elevated at Fort Jackson NRTC Great Lakes MCRD Parris Island Lackland AFB
and CGTC Cape May Naval Health Research Center
USAFSAM amp DHA DoD Global Laboratory-Based
Influenza Surveillance Program
During 12 - 25 February 2017 (Surveillance Weeks 7 amp 8) a total of 570 specimens were
collected from 49 locations Results were finalized for 455 specimens from 44 locations
During Week 7 one influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 144 influenza A(H3N2) and 28 influenza B
viruses were identified During Week 8 three influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 91 influenza
A(H3N2) one influenza A(H3N2) amp Influenza B and 14 influenza B viruses were identified
Approximately 50 of specimens tested positive for influenza during Week 7
Approximately 50 of specimens tested positive for influenza during Week 8 The influenza
percent positive for the season is approximately 35
US Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine amp Defense Health Agency
USDA has $80 million-$90 million to fight bird flu
9 March - The US Department of Agriculture has $80 million to $90 million left over from
the last major outbreak of bird flu to fight any new discoveries of the virus the
departments chief veterinary officer said on Thursday USDA must appeal to Congress if
more money is needed to fight the disease which was recently found in two US states and
also has been confirmed across Asia and in Europe Any potential request for emergency
funding is complicated as US President Donald Trumps choice for the position has not yet
been confirmed by the Senate Reuters
WHO Influenza Update
6 March - Influenza activity in the temperate zone of the northern hemisphere continued to
be elevated in some countries Influenza activity in many countries especially in East Asia
and Europe appeared to have already peaked Worldwide influenza A(H3N2) virus was
predominant The majority of influenza viruses characterized so far were similar antigenically
to the reference viruses contained in vaccines for use in the 2016-2017 northern hemisphere
influenza season Nearly all tested viruses collected recently for antiviral sensitivity were
susceptible to the neuraminidase inhibitor antiviral medications WHO
top of page
11
VETERINARYFOOD SAFETY
2 dead in multi-state Listeria outbreak traced to Vulto
cheese
9 March - Two people are dead and four others are confirmed sick with a strain of Listeria
monocytogenes found in cheese made from unpasteurized raw milk Vulto Creamery is
recalling the cheese from retailers and distributors nationwide Itrsquos been more than five
months since the first outbreak victim became sick on Sept 1 2016 but federal officials said
Jos Vulto owner of the Walton NY cheese operation initiated the recall as soon as he heard
about the ldquocannot rule outrdquo test results on his cheese He began pulling cheese back from
his customers March 3 and posted the public recall Tuesday Since then the Food and Drug
Administration has confirmed Listeria monocytogenes in Vultorsquos finished product hellip The
most recent illness began on Jan 22 Food Safety News
fMRI predicts if Fido is fit for service
7 March - Using functional MRI to identify certain areas of brain activity helped improved
predictions about which dogs were not suitable for service dog training a small study
found hellip [R]esearchers said they used fMRI on 43 service dogs prior to training -- 33 of
which completed training and were matched with a person and 10 of which were released
for behavioral reasons Dogs with a higher level of response in the amygdala an area of the
brain linked with excitability were more likely to fail the service training program This was a
modest improvement over current prediction methods that involve evaluating the dogs
temperament MedPage Today
Four more states report soy nut butter E coli infections
8 March - Four more people from four additional states became infected with Shiga toxin-
producing E coli O157H7 bacteria after consuming a certain brand of soy nut butter and
granola according to the CDC Missouri Virginia Washington and Wisconsin have all
reported individuals becoming ill after consuming IM Healthy Brand SoyNut Butter --
bringing the total affected to 16 Two additional people have been hospitalized with
hemolytic uremic syndrome All five individuals with this type of kidney failure were
children a CDC investigation found MedPage Today
The military kills 8500 pigs and goats every year for
medical training A new bill would end that
4 March - A bipartisan group of lawmakers is trying to stop the Defense Department from
killing about 8500 goats and pigs a year in medical training exercises designed to prepare
troops for combat Rep Hank Johnson D-Ga and Rep Tom Marino R-Pa introduced a bill
on Tuesday that would require the military to use only human-based methods to train
service members to treat injuries sustained on the battlefield and end the use of live tissue
12
training in which troops stab or shoot pigs and goats to simulate the treatment of combat
trauma by Oct 1 2020 Johnson told the Washington Examiner he intends to raise the issue
during debate on the fiscal 2018 National Defense Authorization Act and hopes to use the
must-pass bill as a vehicle to ban live-tissue training He said simulators offer better combat
training than live animals are more humane and are ultimately more cost-effective
Washington Examiner
top of page
WELLNESS
Arthritis afflicts about 1 in 4 adults in the US CDC
report finds
7 March - About one in four adults in the United States suffers from arthritis according to a
new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Vital Signs report published Tuesday Of
the 54 million people in the United States who have this debilitating condition not all are
elderly About 60 percent of those with arthritis were between the ages of 18 and 64 that is
working age Activity limitations from arthritis increased by 20 percent since 2002 the
report found Simple everyday tasks such as walking or lifting bags are challenging for 24
million people affected by the condition in the United States Even though movement is
painful and difficult for people with arthritis the report suggests that increased physical
activity can mitigate arthritis symptoms by 40 percent Despite the proven health benefits of
physical activity for arthritis symptoms about 1 in 3 adults with arthritis in the United States
self-reports being physically inactive The Washington Post
Is dieting passeacute Study finds fewer overweight people try
to lose weight
8 March - An increasing number of overweight Americans have lost the motivation to diet
according to a new study hellip Back in 1990 when researchers asked overweight Americans if
they were trying to lose weight 56 percent said yes But this has changed According to the
latest data just 49 percent say theyre trying This may not seem like a big decline But given
that about 2 out of every 3 Americans are either overweight or obese a decline of 7 percent
means millions more people may have given up on dieting The trend is particularly evident
among black women says study author Jian Zhang an epidemiologist at Georgia Southern
University mdash though the trend is seen across the population hellip Its a big concern study
author Jian Zhang told us Obesity increases the risk of a whole range of diseases and
theres a concern that people who are overweight and obese may be ignoring or
overlooking the risks Not everyone is convinced that the dip in dieting is bad Theres a
possible good news story in this says Janet Tomiyama a psychologist at UCLA who studies
eating behavior and weight stigma hellip Tomiyama says there are signs that the strong anti-fat
13
bias in our culture may be shifting NPR
Poor diet tied to nearly half of US deaths from heart
disease stroke diabetes
7 March - Ensuring that diets include the right amount of certain foods may help the US
cut deaths from heart disease stroke and type 2 diabetes by almost half suggests a new
study About 45 percent of deaths from those causes in 2012 could be blamed on people
eating too much or too little of 10 types of foods researchers found hellip [Renata] Micha and
colleagues identified 10 dietary components closely tied to heart disease stroke and type 2
diabetes sodium fruits vegetables whole grains nuts and seeds unprocessed red meats
processed meats polyunsaturated fats like soybean or corn oils seafood omega-3 fats and
sugar-sweetened beverages Based on participants food diaries the researchers estimated
that 318656 of the 702308 deaths from heart disease stroke or type 2 diabetes were tied
to people getting too much or too little of those 10 foods or dietary factors Reuters
Significant differences among occupational groups found
in short sleep duration
7 March - According to a new study published in the CDCrsquos Morbidity and Mortality Weekly
Report there are big differences in the amount of sleep people get depending on their
occupation ldquoWe found that overall prevalence of short sleep duration was 365 percent
among the working adults who responded to the survey ndash but sleep duration varied widely
by occupationrdquo said study author Taylor Shockey MPH of CDCrsquos National Institute for
Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) ldquoWorkers in occupations where alternative
shiftwork is common such as production health care and some transportation jobs were
more likely to have a higher adjusted prevalence of short sleep duration Workers in other
occupation groups such as teachers farmers or pilots were the most likely to report
getting enough sleeprdquo Among the 22 major occupational groups that were researched the
prevalence of short sleep duration ranged from 429 percent for production workers to 313
percent among workers in the farming fishing and forestry occupation group as well as the
education training and library occupation group Other groups that were found to have a
high percentage of short sleep durations include health care support health care
practitioners and technical food preparation and serving-related and protective service
Occupational Health amp Safety
The grateful life may be a longer one
7 March - Can a positive attitude save your life Therersquos not conclusive evidence but hints
are tantalizing enough that researchers hellip are trying to find out ldquoA lot of the long-term
research says if yoursquore an optimist yoursquore more likely to have better healthrdquo says Jeff
Huffman ldquoLetrsquos say yoursquore not an optimist mdash can we turn you into one Can we promote
that and teach that in a durable way [And] will it really work [to improve health] Itrsquos a big
and open questionrdquo The Cardiac Psychiatry Research Program combines exercises designed
to promote positive psychology in cardiac and diabetes patients with techniques known to
14
change behavior such as goal-setting to encourage patients to adhere to medication
regimens improve their diets and become more active The best chance for a positive
outlook to affect health is by promoting exercise Huffman says Harvard Gazette
Warm-ups cool-downs what works what doesnrsquot
8 March - hellip [S]cientists hellip decided to systematically
examine the effects of some of the worldrsquos best-known
warm-up programs the FIFA 11 and its recent update the
FIFA 11+ hellip [T]he original FIFA 11 warm-up is light and
quick lasting about 10 minutes and involving various
kinds of jumping shuffling and balancing exercises The
updated FIFA 11+ is more intense requiring repeated sprints and exercises such as squats
leg lifts and vertical leaps hellip [T]he new study systematically pooled data from the best
earlier studies Those boys girls men and women who regularly completed the FIFA 11+
warm-up before training or games were about 40 percent less likely to sustain knee ankle
hamstring and hip or groin injuries during the season than athletes who warmed up in
other ways Interestingly the easier FIFA 11 warm-up did not substantially reduce the
incidence of subsequent injuries The New York Times
top of page
USAFRICOM
Somalia says 110 dead in last 48 hours due to drought
4 March - Some 110 people have died in southern Somalia in the last two days from famine
and diarrhea resulting from a drought the prime minister said on Saturday as the area
braces itself for widespread shortages of food In February United Nations childrens agency
UNICEF said the drought in Somalia could lead to up to 270000 children suffering from
severe acute malnutrition this year It is a difficult situation for the pastoralists and their
livestock Some people have been hit by famine and diarrhea at the same time In the last
48 hours 110 people died due to famine and diarrhea in Bay region Prime Minister Hassan
Ali Khaires office said in a statement Reuters
South Sudan South Sudan will now charge $10000 for
an aid worker permit Why
7 March - Late last month famine was declared in two counties of the civil-war torn East
African country of South Sudan With 100000 people at risk for dying of starvation in that
area alone and millions more on the brink of crisis-level food shortages throughout the
country South Sudanese President Salva Kiir promised unimpeded access to humanitarian
aid organizations working there A few days later the South Sudanese government hiked the
15
fee for work permits for foreign aid workers from $100 to $10000 Its unclear whether the
fee would apply only to newcomers or to those already there as well Whatever the case the
amount is absolutely unheard of globally said Julien Schopp director for Humanitarian
Practice at InterAction an alliance of 180 nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) working
around the world No organization can afford this and if NGOs go to their institutional
donors to request that extra money Im pretty sure that [the donors] will be reluctant to pay
this because they will see this to some extent as ransom NPR
top of page
USCENTCOM
Afghanistan Afghan fighting pressures hospitals clinics
- childrens rights group
6 March - Hospitals and clinics in Afghanistan have increasingly been targeted by armed
groups over the past two years weakening an already degraded health system a childrens
rights group said in a report issued on Monday Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict
said attacks had further restricted or even blocked medical care in a country where almost a
third of the population of more than 30 million lacks access to basic health services Armed
groups had forced temporary or permanent closure of medical facilities damaged or
destroyed medical facilities looted medical supplies stolen ambulances threatened
intimidated extorted or detained medical personnel and occupied medical facilities for
military purposes it said The report hellip said there were 119 conflict-related incidents
targeting medical facilities and personnel last year quoting a figure from the United
Nations Mission in Afghanistan Reuters
Afghanistan ISIS militants disguised as doctors kill 38 in
Kabul hospital attack
8 March - Islamic State has claimed responsibility for an attack on a Kabul military hospital
by gunmen disguised as doctors who breached the facility and battled security forces for
hours More than 30 people died and dozens more were injured the Afghan defence
ministry said The attack began with a suicide bombing at the rear of the hospital complex
in the Afghan capital Officials said at least three gunmen dressed as medical staff then
entered the 400-bed Sardar Mohammad Daud Khan facility and took up positions on the
upper floors A second explosion was heard as Afghan special forces engaged the gunmen
and ldquoheavy fightingrdquo ensued a defence ministry spokesman said The Guardian
Iraq ISIS allegedly used chemical weapons in Mosul
battle injuring civilians
6 March - ISIS militants used chemical weapons during the battle for the city of Mosul last
16
week injuring a number of civilians according to a senior Iraqi security official The officials
assessment comes after the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) issued a
statement last week saying that their workers had treated patients from Mosul who were
suffering from symptoms consistent with exposure to a toxic chemical agent Over a
number of days last week the ICRC said it treated 15 such patients hellip It was certainly [the
result of] a toxic chemical agent because their symptoms were absolutely clear People had
blisters they vomited They had irritation in the eyes and coughed she added The World
Health Organization said in a statement that hellip the use of chemical weapons is a war
crime Both the WHO and ICRC said that the patients symptoms were consistent with
exposure to a blistering agent NBC News
Syria Syrian children suffer staggering levels of trauma
and distress ndash report
6 March - A Save the Children study says Syriarsquos mental
health crisis has reached a tipping point and that severe
distress among children could cause life-long damage
The report says 58 million of children in Syria are in need
of aid Children in Syria are suffering from ldquotoxic stressrdquo a
severe form of psychological trauma that can cause life-
long damage according to a study that charts a rise in self-harm and suicide attempts
among children as young as 12 hellip More than 70 of children interviewed experienced
common symptoms of ldquotoxic stressrdquo or post-traumatic stress disorder such as bedwetting
the study found Loss of speech aggression and substance abuse are also commonplace
About 48 of adults reported seeing children who have lost the ability to speak or who
have developed speech impediments since the war began hellip The majority of children
interviewed showed signs of ldquosevere emotional stressrdquo and 78 of them felt grief and
extreme sadness some of the time The Guardian
top of page
USEUCOM
EuropeUS Mutual Recognition promises new
framework for pharmaceutical inspections for United
States and European Union
2 March - The United States and the European Union (EU) completed an exchange of letters
to amend the Pharmaceutical Annex to the 1998 US-EU Mutual Recognition Agreement
Under this agreement US and EU regulators will be able to utilize each otherrsquos good
manufacturing practice inspections of pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities The
17
amended agreement represents the culmination of nearly three years of US Food and Drug
Administration and EU cooperation as part of the Mutual Reliance Initiative and will allow
the FDA and EU drug inspectors to rely upon information from drug inspections conducted
within each otherrsquos borders Ultimately this will enable the FDA and EU to avoid the
duplication of drug inspections lower inspection costs and enable regulators to devote
more resources to other parts of the world where there may be greater risk FDA
Israel marijuana Users to face fine rather than criminal
charge
5 March - The Israeli government has taken steps to reduce the penalties for personal
marijuana use It backed plans to issue fines initially and only resort to criminal charges for
repeat offenders Selling buying and producing the drug will remain illegal and the move
must still be ratified by parliament According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime almost
9 of Israelis use cannabis though some experts believe the figure to be higher The move
follows recommendations by a committee set up to study the issue and moves by a
number of US states and European nations to decriminalise use of the drug BBC News
Romania Measles outbreak in Romania - ECDC assesses
the risk of spread to and sustained transmission in
EUEEA countries
7 March - An outbreak of measles is ongoing in Romania From the end of September 2016
to 17 February 2017 the Romanian National Institute of Public Health received reports of
3071 cases of measles Cases continue to be reported despite ongoing response measures
at national level through reinforced vaccination activities hellip Considering the size and
geographical spread of the ongoing measles outbreak in Romania the likelihood of
exportation of measles cases is high Between 1 February 2016 and 31 January 2017 ECDC
received reports of 4484 cases of measles from 30 EUEEA countries hellip Given that the
vaccination coverage target [of 95] is still to be reached in a number of EUEEA countries
the risk of spread and sustained transmission from areas where measles transmission is
occurring in areas with susceptible populations is high Eurosurveillance
Romania Romanias healthcare exodus
9 March - hellip Romania has bled out tens of thousands of doctors nurses dentists and
pharmacists since joining the European Union a decade ago lured abroad by what the
country lacks significantly higher pay modern infrastructure and functional healthcare
systems France Germany and Britain are among the most popular destinations The
consequences are dire Romania is one of the EU states with the fewest doctors Nearly a
third of hospital positions are vacant and the health ministry estimates one in four
Romanians has insufficient access to essential healthcare hellip This despite the fact that
Romania is a leading EU state when it comes to the number of medical graduates Reuters
18
Switzerland Measles outbreaks continue to plague
Switzerland
28 February - Switzerland is on track to see the most cases of measles in years in 2017
Vaccinations are on the rise but the government recently admitted its eradication strategy
has failed In 1987 the Federal Health Office announced a vaccination strategy that it hoped
would eradicate measles by the year 2000 Seventeen years after that deadline the
vaccination rate lies at 87 below the 95 that the World Health Organization deems a
target for eradication Daniel Koch head of the infectious disease unit at the Federal Health
Office told swissinfoch that ldquothe number of people who are vaccinated has been
consistently rising but wersquore not yet where we want to berdquo Over the past several decades
Switzerland has had significant outbreaks roughly every four years In a long-term outbreak
between 2006 and 2009 Switzerland reached the highest measles rate in Europe with 4371
registered cases SWI
United Kingdom Nestleacute to remove 10 of sugar from all
snacks in UK and Ireland by 2018
7 March - Nestleacute one of the worldrsquos biggest chocolate manufacturers will take 10 of the
sugar out of its confectionery in the UK and Ireland by 2018 The corporation says the cut is
from the levels existing in its sugary products in 2015 and will amount to about 7500
tonnes The announcement follows public concern over the quantity of sugar in the
countryrsquos diet and its contribution to rising obesity levels The threat of a sugar levy on soft
drinks has encouraged the reformulation of Irn Bru and Lucozade which will escape the tax
although there have been no such moves by PepsiCo or Coca-Cola hellip Nestleacute says it will not
use artificial sweeteners in its confectionery Instead it plans to replace sugar with higher
quantities of existing ingredients or other non-artificial ingredients and ensuring products
are below a certain amount of calories The Guardian
top of page
USNORTHCOM
Canada Dallaire testifies mefloquine drug impaired
thought process in Rwanda
7 March - The Canadian army officer who led the UN peacekeeping mission during the
Rwandan genocide says the antimalarial drug mefloquine affected his thought processes
during his deployment but the military refused to let him stop taking it Romeacuteo Dallaire the
human rights activist retired lieutenant-general and former senator who speaks openly
about his struggles with post-traumatic stress syndrome told the Commons veterans affairs
19
committee this week that mefloquine interferes with the ability to make quick decisions in
military theatres hellip Soldiers who were given mefloquine in Somalia in the early 1990s as
part of a poorly administered ndash and possibly illegal ndash clinical trial run by the Department of
National Defence have told the veterans affairs committee that the medication caused
lasting brain damage hellip Health Canada began in December to review available information
about any causal link between the use of mefloquine and persistent neurological or
psychiatric adverse events their frequency and severity and whether any particular segment
of the population is at increased risk The Globe and Mail
US CDC wants better data to manage global
communicable diseases
6 March - To better understand how diseases travel with international airline passengers
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is seeking advanced global aviation
intelligence data and analytical tools to enhance the agencyrsquos ability to analyze global
aviation patterns In a request for proposals posted Feb 16 the CDC said it needs more
advanced data and tools because air travel has become an increasingly common conduit for
the spread of disease ldquoThe need is immediate and ongoing for a single secure and web-
based global aviation database and analytical application to support analysis of aviation
global capacity and domestic and international passenger traffic (historical and future)rdquo the
RFP said GCN
US EPA chief unconvinced on CO2 link to global
warming
9 March - The new head of the Environmental Protection Agency said on Thursday he is not
convinced that carbon dioxide from human activity is the main driver of climate change and
said he wants Congress to weigh in on whether CO2 is a harmful pollutant that should be
regulated In an interview with CNBC EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt said the Trump
administration will make an announcement on fuel efficiency standards for cars very soon
stressing that he and President Donald Trump believe current standards were rushed
through Pruitt 48 is a climate change denier who sued the agency he now leads more than
a dozen times as Oklahomas attorney general He said he was not convinced that carbon
dioxide pollution from burning fossil fuels like oil gas and coal is the main cause of climate
change a conclusion widely embraced by scientists Reuters
US EPA environmental justice leader resigns amid
White House plans to dismantle program
9 March - A key environmental justice leader at the Environmental Protection Agency has
resigned saying that a recent budget proposal to defund such work would harm the people
who most rely on the EPA Mustafa Ali a senior advisor and assistant associate
administrator for environmental justice has served more than two decades at the agency
working to ease the burden of air and water pollution in hundreds of poor minority
20
communities nationwide He helped found the EPArsquos environmental justice office during the
early 1990s and became a key adviser to agency administrators under Republican and
Democratic presidents hellip [T]he White House is seeking to close the agencyrsquos Office of
Environmental Justice hellip [T]he new administration hellip ldquoassumes any future EJ specific policy
work can be transferred to the Office of Policyrdquo The Washington Post
US FDA has encouraged development but needs to
clarify the role of draft guidance and develop qualified
infectious disease product guidance
January 2017 - Antibiotics have long played a key role in treating infections but this role is
threatened by growing resistance to existing antibiotics and the decline in the development
of new drugs hellip The [Generating Antibiotic Incentives Now (GAIN)] provisions created the
[qualified infectious disease products (QIDP)] designation and its associated incentives to
encourage the development of new drugs to treat serious or life-threatening infections
While it is too soon to tell if GAIN has stimulated the development of new drugs GAO was
asked to provide information on FDArsquos efforts to implement GAIN hellip GAO recommends that
FDA clarify the role of draft guidance for and develop written guidance on the QIDP
designation to help drug sponsors better understand the designation and its associated
incentives HHS said it would consider GAOrsquos first recommendation and agreed with the
second GAO believes the first recommendation should also be adopted GAO
US Forbidding forecast for Lyme disease in the
northeast
6 March - hellip [Rick] Keesing and [Felicia] Ostfeld who have
studied Lyme for more than 20 years have come up with an
early warning system for the disease They can predict how
many cases there will be a year in advance by looking at one
key measurement Count the mice the year before The
number of critters scampering around the forest in the
summer correlates to the Lyme cases the following summer theyve reported The
explanation is simple Mice are highly efficient transmitters of Lyme They infect up to 95
percent of ticks that feed on them Mice are responsible for infecting the majority of ticks
carrying Lyme in the Northeast And ticks love mice An individual mouse might have 50
60 even 100 ticks covering its ears and face Ostfeld says So that mouse plague last year
means there is going to be a Lyme plague this year NPR
US Obamacare repeal guts crucial public health funds
8 March - The latest Republican health-care bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act would
eliminate funds for fundamental public health programs including for the prevention of
bioterrorism and disease outbreaks as well as money to provide immunizations and heart-
disease screenings As part of the ACA or Obamacare the Prevention and Public Health
21
Fund provides almost $1 billion annually to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Since 2010 the fund has been an increasingly important source of money for core CDC
programs today accounting for about 12 percent of the CDCrsquos total budget The GOP bill
would eliminate the Prevention and Public Health Fund starting in October of next year No
clear replacement has been proposed The Washington Post
US Patients demand the right to try experimental
drugs but costs can be steep 3 March - In the last three years 33 US states have passed laws aimed at helping dying
people get easier access to experimental treatments that are still in the early stages of
human testing Supporters say these patients are just looking for the right to try these
treatments Such laws sound compassionate but medical ethicists warn they pose
worrisome risks to the health and finances of vulnerable patients hellip Dr R Adams Dudley
director of UCSFs Center for Healthcare Value [says] If we take the FDA out of it how do
we protect people from physicians or drug companies that will want to sell them things and
will want to prey on their desperation hellip Patients could spend huge amounts of money
trying a drug that hasnt been proved to work he says And the patient may also be giving
up their hopes for a controlled peaceful death at home NPR
US Ten million lives saved by 1962 breakthrough study
says 3 March - Nearly 200 million cases of polio measles mumps rubella varicella adenovirus
rabies and hepatitis Amdashand approximately 450000 deaths from these diseasesmdashwere
prevented in the US alone between 1963 and 2015 by vaccination researchers estimate
In 1963 vaccination against these infections became widespread thanks to the
development of a human cell strain that allowed vaccines to be produced safely Globally
the vaccines developed from this strain and its derivatives prevented an estimated 45
billion cases of disease and saved more than 10 million lives Author S Jay Olshansky
professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of Illinois at Chicago School of
Public Health hellip used previously-published data on cases and deaths for each disease in the
US in 1960 before vaccines were available for these diseases Medical Xpress
US US skin disease burden expected to increase 3 March - More than one-fourth of Americans (27) were seen by a physician for skin
disease in 2013 and they averaged 16 skin diseases each researchers found Skin disease
costs at least $75 billion to treat in a single year and is an especially big problem in the 65-
and-older population which tends to get more skin diseases due to lifelong cumulative sun
exposure and increasing susceptibility to bacterial viral and fungal diseases With the
projected increase in the age group 65 years and older in the US population combined
with the increased costs of currently in-use and newly developed dermatologic treatment
options the economic burden of skin disease will continue to grow the investigators
wrote MedPage Today
top of page
22
USPACOM
India India abortion - police find 19 female foetuses
6 March - Police in the western Indian state of Maharashtra have found 19 aborted female
foetuses near a hospital Senior police officials in Sangli district said the remains were
buried with the intention of disposing them The police told the BBC that they found the
foetuses while they were investigating the death of a woman who had undergone an illegal
abortion Activists say the incident proves yet again that female foeticide is rampant in India
despite awareness campaigns The police said that the woman had died in a botched
abortion and they were looking for the foetus near a local hospital when they made the
grisly discovery It appears to be an abortion racket We have arrested the husband of the
woman and have launched a manhunt for the doctor who has gone missing Dattatray
Shinde superintendent of police told the BBC BBC News
India Missing the signals - Indiarsquos anti-vaccination social
media campaign
7 March - India recently launched a one-month campaign to vaccinate over 35 million
9-month to 15-year old children with a measles-rubella vaccine across five states The
campaign marked the start of a two-year initiative aiming to vaccinate over 400 million
children across India ndash part of a larger global effort to eliminate measles and rubella By the
end of the first month of the campaign it became clear that it was struggling to meet its
goal A different kind of campaign was circulating on WhatsApp and Facebook ndash fuelling a
mix of conspiracy theories safety concerns and questioning around why the vaccine and
the campaign were needed Whatrsquos more the rumours were taking hold in the wealthier
southern states with generally the best education and health indicators in the country
The Vaccine Confidence Project
Myanmar Tuberculosis kills 14 in Myanmarrsquos remote
north
9 March - At least 14 people have died from pulmonary tuberculosis in a remote and
impoverished region in Myanmarrsquos north this year according to officials Thursday The
illness characterized by a persistent cough has hit two villages in Lahe Township of the
mountainous Naga region located around 1300 kilometers (800 miles) from Myanmarrsquos
largest city Yangon Maung Kal a lawmaker representing the area told Anadolu Agency on
Thursday that 14 middle-aged people -- including six women -- have succumbed to the
disease over the past two months hellip According to World Health Organization (WHO)
estimates more than 150000 people suffer from tuberculosis in Myanmar which is
currently included in a list of 30 countries recognized as high-burden with the infectious
respiratory disease Anadolu Agency
top of page
23
USSOUTHCOM
Brazil WHO expands vaccination advice as yellow fever
covers southeast Brazil state
7 March - The entire Brazilian state of Espirito Santo is now considered at risk for yellow
fever transmission the World Health Organization says raising concerns the deadly virus
could spread to the nations biggest cities An ongoing yellow fever outbreak has so far
been limited to rural areas hellip [b]ut there are growing concerns the virus could spread to
urban centers like Rio de Janeiro Sao Paulo Belo Horizonte and Vitoria - areas where tens
of millions live Reuters
Ecuador Leads desperate artisans
Spring 2017 - hellip Lead has been used in ceramic glazes for thousands of years for its
beautiful and strong finishmdashbut more importantlymdashbecause it enables the glaze to melt at
a lower temperature facilitating the use of backyard low-fire kilns In La Victoria to get the
lead for these glazes artisans turned to the lead plates from car batteries manually
removing them and melting them down in their kilns This process aerosolized the lead
enabling it to be inhaled by people and distributed across the environment widely
contaminating soil foods objects and homes hellip [Edgar] Neto tells me that environmental
health inspections should be done in La Victoria every three months but there are no police
to enforce the environmental laws Although no one in La Victoria tells stories of fines levied
for crimes against the environment the social structure within the political and artisan
associations here is strong and much of the lead use among artisans has changed hellip While
excessive exposure and acute lead toxicity may have abated leadrsquos potential for health
problems continuesmdashin the form of chronic exposure Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health
top of page
24
US Military | Global | Influenza | VeterinaryFood Safety | Wellness | Contact Us
USAFRICOM | USCENTCOM | USEUCOM | USNORTHCOM | USPACOM | USSOUTHCOM
The Army Public Health Weekly Update does not analyze the information as to its strategic or tactical impact on the US Army and is not a medical
intelligence product Medical intelligence is available from the National Center for Medical Intelligence
External Links The appearance of external hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the US Army of this Web site or the information products
or services contained therein For other than authorized activities such as military exchanges and MWR sites the US Army does not exercise any
editorial control over the information you may find at these locations Such links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of this product
Although we avoid links to sites that may be blocked all sites may not be accessible from all locations While we verify the links at the time of
publication we cannot guarantee that they will be active in the future
Articles appearing in the Update do not necessarily represent US Army Medical Command opinionsviews policy or guidance and should not be
construed or interpreted as being endorsed by the US Army Medical Command
The Army Public Health Weekly Update is published by the Public Health Information Directorate Army Public Health Center
10
Influenza Fourteen cases of NHRC laboratory-confirmed influenza (AH3) among
US military basic trainees
FRI surveillance at all eight US military basic training centers indicated FRI rates
were elevated at Fort Jackson NRTC Great Lakes MCRD Parris Island Lackland AFB
and CGTC Cape May Naval Health Research Center
USAFSAM amp DHA DoD Global Laboratory-Based
Influenza Surveillance Program
During 12 - 25 February 2017 (Surveillance Weeks 7 amp 8) a total of 570 specimens were
collected from 49 locations Results were finalized for 455 specimens from 44 locations
During Week 7 one influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 144 influenza A(H3N2) and 28 influenza B
viruses were identified During Week 8 three influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 91 influenza
A(H3N2) one influenza A(H3N2) amp Influenza B and 14 influenza B viruses were identified
Approximately 50 of specimens tested positive for influenza during Week 7
Approximately 50 of specimens tested positive for influenza during Week 8 The influenza
percent positive for the season is approximately 35
US Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine amp Defense Health Agency
USDA has $80 million-$90 million to fight bird flu
9 March - The US Department of Agriculture has $80 million to $90 million left over from
the last major outbreak of bird flu to fight any new discoveries of the virus the
departments chief veterinary officer said on Thursday USDA must appeal to Congress if
more money is needed to fight the disease which was recently found in two US states and
also has been confirmed across Asia and in Europe Any potential request for emergency
funding is complicated as US President Donald Trumps choice for the position has not yet
been confirmed by the Senate Reuters
WHO Influenza Update
6 March - Influenza activity in the temperate zone of the northern hemisphere continued to
be elevated in some countries Influenza activity in many countries especially in East Asia
and Europe appeared to have already peaked Worldwide influenza A(H3N2) virus was
predominant The majority of influenza viruses characterized so far were similar antigenically
to the reference viruses contained in vaccines for use in the 2016-2017 northern hemisphere
influenza season Nearly all tested viruses collected recently for antiviral sensitivity were
susceptible to the neuraminidase inhibitor antiviral medications WHO
top of page
11
VETERINARYFOOD SAFETY
2 dead in multi-state Listeria outbreak traced to Vulto
cheese
9 March - Two people are dead and four others are confirmed sick with a strain of Listeria
monocytogenes found in cheese made from unpasteurized raw milk Vulto Creamery is
recalling the cheese from retailers and distributors nationwide Itrsquos been more than five
months since the first outbreak victim became sick on Sept 1 2016 but federal officials said
Jos Vulto owner of the Walton NY cheese operation initiated the recall as soon as he heard
about the ldquocannot rule outrdquo test results on his cheese He began pulling cheese back from
his customers March 3 and posted the public recall Tuesday Since then the Food and Drug
Administration has confirmed Listeria monocytogenes in Vultorsquos finished product hellip The
most recent illness began on Jan 22 Food Safety News
fMRI predicts if Fido is fit for service
7 March - Using functional MRI to identify certain areas of brain activity helped improved
predictions about which dogs were not suitable for service dog training a small study
found hellip [R]esearchers said they used fMRI on 43 service dogs prior to training -- 33 of
which completed training and were matched with a person and 10 of which were released
for behavioral reasons Dogs with a higher level of response in the amygdala an area of the
brain linked with excitability were more likely to fail the service training program This was a
modest improvement over current prediction methods that involve evaluating the dogs
temperament MedPage Today
Four more states report soy nut butter E coli infections
8 March - Four more people from four additional states became infected with Shiga toxin-
producing E coli O157H7 bacteria after consuming a certain brand of soy nut butter and
granola according to the CDC Missouri Virginia Washington and Wisconsin have all
reported individuals becoming ill after consuming IM Healthy Brand SoyNut Butter --
bringing the total affected to 16 Two additional people have been hospitalized with
hemolytic uremic syndrome All five individuals with this type of kidney failure were
children a CDC investigation found MedPage Today
The military kills 8500 pigs and goats every year for
medical training A new bill would end that
4 March - A bipartisan group of lawmakers is trying to stop the Defense Department from
killing about 8500 goats and pigs a year in medical training exercises designed to prepare
troops for combat Rep Hank Johnson D-Ga and Rep Tom Marino R-Pa introduced a bill
on Tuesday that would require the military to use only human-based methods to train
service members to treat injuries sustained on the battlefield and end the use of live tissue
12
training in which troops stab or shoot pigs and goats to simulate the treatment of combat
trauma by Oct 1 2020 Johnson told the Washington Examiner he intends to raise the issue
during debate on the fiscal 2018 National Defense Authorization Act and hopes to use the
must-pass bill as a vehicle to ban live-tissue training He said simulators offer better combat
training than live animals are more humane and are ultimately more cost-effective
Washington Examiner
top of page
WELLNESS
Arthritis afflicts about 1 in 4 adults in the US CDC
report finds
7 March - About one in four adults in the United States suffers from arthritis according to a
new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Vital Signs report published Tuesday Of
the 54 million people in the United States who have this debilitating condition not all are
elderly About 60 percent of those with arthritis were between the ages of 18 and 64 that is
working age Activity limitations from arthritis increased by 20 percent since 2002 the
report found Simple everyday tasks such as walking or lifting bags are challenging for 24
million people affected by the condition in the United States Even though movement is
painful and difficult for people with arthritis the report suggests that increased physical
activity can mitigate arthritis symptoms by 40 percent Despite the proven health benefits of
physical activity for arthritis symptoms about 1 in 3 adults with arthritis in the United States
self-reports being physically inactive The Washington Post
Is dieting passeacute Study finds fewer overweight people try
to lose weight
8 March - An increasing number of overweight Americans have lost the motivation to diet
according to a new study hellip Back in 1990 when researchers asked overweight Americans if
they were trying to lose weight 56 percent said yes But this has changed According to the
latest data just 49 percent say theyre trying This may not seem like a big decline But given
that about 2 out of every 3 Americans are either overweight or obese a decline of 7 percent
means millions more people may have given up on dieting The trend is particularly evident
among black women says study author Jian Zhang an epidemiologist at Georgia Southern
University mdash though the trend is seen across the population hellip Its a big concern study
author Jian Zhang told us Obesity increases the risk of a whole range of diseases and
theres a concern that people who are overweight and obese may be ignoring or
overlooking the risks Not everyone is convinced that the dip in dieting is bad Theres a
possible good news story in this says Janet Tomiyama a psychologist at UCLA who studies
eating behavior and weight stigma hellip Tomiyama says there are signs that the strong anti-fat
13
bias in our culture may be shifting NPR
Poor diet tied to nearly half of US deaths from heart
disease stroke diabetes
7 March - Ensuring that diets include the right amount of certain foods may help the US
cut deaths from heart disease stroke and type 2 diabetes by almost half suggests a new
study About 45 percent of deaths from those causes in 2012 could be blamed on people
eating too much or too little of 10 types of foods researchers found hellip [Renata] Micha and
colleagues identified 10 dietary components closely tied to heart disease stroke and type 2
diabetes sodium fruits vegetables whole grains nuts and seeds unprocessed red meats
processed meats polyunsaturated fats like soybean or corn oils seafood omega-3 fats and
sugar-sweetened beverages Based on participants food diaries the researchers estimated
that 318656 of the 702308 deaths from heart disease stroke or type 2 diabetes were tied
to people getting too much or too little of those 10 foods or dietary factors Reuters
Significant differences among occupational groups found
in short sleep duration
7 March - According to a new study published in the CDCrsquos Morbidity and Mortality Weekly
Report there are big differences in the amount of sleep people get depending on their
occupation ldquoWe found that overall prevalence of short sleep duration was 365 percent
among the working adults who responded to the survey ndash but sleep duration varied widely
by occupationrdquo said study author Taylor Shockey MPH of CDCrsquos National Institute for
Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) ldquoWorkers in occupations where alternative
shiftwork is common such as production health care and some transportation jobs were
more likely to have a higher adjusted prevalence of short sleep duration Workers in other
occupation groups such as teachers farmers or pilots were the most likely to report
getting enough sleeprdquo Among the 22 major occupational groups that were researched the
prevalence of short sleep duration ranged from 429 percent for production workers to 313
percent among workers in the farming fishing and forestry occupation group as well as the
education training and library occupation group Other groups that were found to have a
high percentage of short sleep durations include health care support health care
practitioners and technical food preparation and serving-related and protective service
Occupational Health amp Safety
The grateful life may be a longer one
7 March - Can a positive attitude save your life Therersquos not conclusive evidence but hints
are tantalizing enough that researchers hellip are trying to find out ldquoA lot of the long-term
research says if yoursquore an optimist yoursquore more likely to have better healthrdquo says Jeff
Huffman ldquoLetrsquos say yoursquore not an optimist mdash can we turn you into one Can we promote
that and teach that in a durable way [And] will it really work [to improve health] Itrsquos a big
and open questionrdquo The Cardiac Psychiatry Research Program combines exercises designed
to promote positive psychology in cardiac and diabetes patients with techniques known to
14
change behavior such as goal-setting to encourage patients to adhere to medication
regimens improve their diets and become more active The best chance for a positive
outlook to affect health is by promoting exercise Huffman says Harvard Gazette
Warm-ups cool-downs what works what doesnrsquot
8 March - hellip [S]cientists hellip decided to systematically
examine the effects of some of the worldrsquos best-known
warm-up programs the FIFA 11 and its recent update the
FIFA 11+ hellip [T]he original FIFA 11 warm-up is light and
quick lasting about 10 minutes and involving various
kinds of jumping shuffling and balancing exercises The
updated FIFA 11+ is more intense requiring repeated sprints and exercises such as squats
leg lifts and vertical leaps hellip [T]he new study systematically pooled data from the best
earlier studies Those boys girls men and women who regularly completed the FIFA 11+
warm-up before training or games were about 40 percent less likely to sustain knee ankle
hamstring and hip or groin injuries during the season than athletes who warmed up in
other ways Interestingly the easier FIFA 11 warm-up did not substantially reduce the
incidence of subsequent injuries The New York Times
top of page
USAFRICOM
Somalia says 110 dead in last 48 hours due to drought
4 March - Some 110 people have died in southern Somalia in the last two days from famine
and diarrhea resulting from a drought the prime minister said on Saturday as the area
braces itself for widespread shortages of food In February United Nations childrens agency
UNICEF said the drought in Somalia could lead to up to 270000 children suffering from
severe acute malnutrition this year It is a difficult situation for the pastoralists and their
livestock Some people have been hit by famine and diarrhea at the same time In the last
48 hours 110 people died due to famine and diarrhea in Bay region Prime Minister Hassan
Ali Khaires office said in a statement Reuters
South Sudan South Sudan will now charge $10000 for
an aid worker permit Why
7 March - Late last month famine was declared in two counties of the civil-war torn East
African country of South Sudan With 100000 people at risk for dying of starvation in that
area alone and millions more on the brink of crisis-level food shortages throughout the
country South Sudanese President Salva Kiir promised unimpeded access to humanitarian
aid organizations working there A few days later the South Sudanese government hiked the
15
fee for work permits for foreign aid workers from $100 to $10000 Its unclear whether the
fee would apply only to newcomers or to those already there as well Whatever the case the
amount is absolutely unheard of globally said Julien Schopp director for Humanitarian
Practice at InterAction an alliance of 180 nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) working
around the world No organization can afford this and if NGOs go to their institutional
donors to request that extra money Im pretty sure that [the donors] will be reluctant to pay
this because they will see this to some extent as ransom NPR
top of page
USCENTCOM
Afghanistan Afghan fighting pressures hospitals clinics
- childrens rights group
6 March - Hospitals and clinics in Afghanistan have increasingly been targeted by armed
groups over the past two years weakening an already degraded health system a childrens
rights group said in a report issued on Monday Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict
said attacks had further restricted or even blocked medical care in a country where almost a
third of the population of more than 30 million lacks access to basic health services Armed
groups had forced temporary or permanent closure of medical facilities damaged or
destroyed medical facilities looted medical supplies stolen ambulances threatened
intimidated extorted or detained medical personnel and occupied medical facilities for
military purposes it said The report hellip said there were 119 conflict-related incidents
targeting medical facilities and personnel last year quoting a figure from the United
Nations Mission in Afghanistan Reuters
Afghanistan ISIS militants disguised as doctors kill 38 in
Kabul hospital attack
8 March - Islamic State has claimed responsibility for an attack on a Kabul military hospital
by gunmen disguised as doctors who breached the facility and battled security forces for
hours More than 30 people died and dozens more were injured the Afghan defence
ministry said The attack began with a suicide bombing at the rear of the hospital complex
in the Afghan capital Officials said at least three gunmen dressed as medical staff then
entered the 400-bed Sardar Mohammad Daud Khan facility and took up positions on the
upper floors A second explosion was heard as Afghan special forces engaged the gunmen
and ldquoheavy fightingrdquo ensued a defence ministry spokesman said The Guardian
Iraq ISIS allegedly used chemical weapons in Mosul
battle injuring civilians
6 March - ISIS militants used chemical weapons during the battle for the city of Mosul last
16
week injuring a number of civilians according to a senior Iraqi security official The officials
assessment comes after the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) issued a
statement last week saying that their workers had treated patients from Mosul who were
suffering from symptoms consistent with exposure to a toxic chemical agent Over a
number of days last week the ICRC said it treated 15 such patients hellip It was certainly [the
result of] a toxic chemical agent because their symptoms were absolutely clear People had
blisters they vomited They had irritation in the eyes and coughed she added The World
Health Organization said in a statement that hellip the use of chemical weapons is a war
crime Both the WHO and ICRC said that the patients symptoms were consistent with
exposure to a blistering agent NBC News
Syria Syrian children suffer staggering levels of trauma
and distress ndash report
6 March - A Save the Children study says Syriarsquos mental
health crisis has reached a tipping point and that severe
distress among children could cause life-long damage
The report says 58 million of children in Syria are in need
of aid Children in Syria are suffering from ldquotoxic stressrdquo a
severe form of psychological trauma that can cause life-
long damage according to a study that charts a rise in self-harm and suicide attempts
among children as young as 12 hellip More than 70 of children interviewed experienced
common symptoms of ldquotoxic stressrdquo or post-traumatic stress disorder such as bedwetting
the study found Loss of speech aggression and substance abuse are also commonplace
About 48 of adults reported seeing children who have lost the ability to speak or who
have developed speech impediments since the war began hellip The majority of children
interviewed showed signs of ldquosevere emotional stressrdquo and 78 of them felt grief and
extreme sadness some of the time The Guardian
top of page
USEUCOM
EuropeUS Mutual Recognition promises new
framework for pharmaceutical inspections for United
States and European Union
2 March - The United States and the European Union (EU) completed an exchange of letters
to amend the Pharmaceutical Annex to the 1998 US-EU Mutual Recognition Agreement
Under this agreement US and EU regulators will be able to utilize each otherrsquos good
manufacturing practice inspections of pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities The
17
amended agreement represents the culmination of nearly three years of US Food and Drug
Administration and EU cooperation as part of the Mutual Reliance Initiative and will allow
the FDA and EU drug inspectors to rely upon information from drug inspections conducted
within each otherrsquos borders Ultimately this will enable the FDA and EU to avoid the
duplication of drug inspections lower inspection costs and enable regulators to devote
more resources to other parts of the world where there may be greater risk FDA
Israel marijuana Users to face fine rather than criminal
charge
5 March - The Israeli government has taken steps to reduce the penalties for personal
marijuana use It backed plans to issue fines initially and only resort to criminal charges for
repeat offenders Selling buying and producing the drug will remain illegal and the move
must still be ratified by parliament According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime almost
9 of Israelis use cannabis though some experts believe the figure to be higher The move
follows recommendations by a committee set up to study the issue and moves by a
number of US states and European nations to decriminalise use of the drug BBC News
Romania Measles outbreak in Romania - ECDC assesses
the risk of spread to and sustained transmission in
EUEEA countries
7 March - An outbreak of measles is ongoing in Romania From the end of September 2016
to 17 February 2017 the Romanian National Institute of Public Health received reports of
3071 cases of measles Cases continue to be reported despite ongoing response measures
at national level through reinforced vaccination activities hellip Considering the size and
geographical spread of the ongoing measles outbreak in Romania the likelihood of
exportation of measles cases is high Between 1 February 2016 and 31 January 2017 ECDC
received reports of 4484 cases of measles from 30 EUEEA countries hellip Given that the
vaccination coverage target [of 95] is still to be reached in a number of EUEEA countries
the risk of spread and sustained transmission from areas where measles transmission is
occurring in areas with susceptible populations is high Eurosurveillance
Romania Romanias healthcare exodus
9 March - hellip Romania has bled out tens of thousands of doctors nurses dentists and
pharmacists since joining the European Union a decade ago lured abroad by what the
country lacks significantly higher pay modern infrastructure and functional healthcare
systems France Germany and Britain are among the most popular destinations The
consequences are dire Romania is one of the EU states with the fewest doctors Nearly a
third of hospital positions are vacant and the health ministry estimates one in four
Romanians has insufficient access to essential healthcare hellip This despite the fact that
Romania is a leading EU state when it comes to the number of medical graduates Reuters
18
Switzerland Measles outbreaks continue to plague
Switzerland
28 February - Switzerland is on track to see the most cases of measles in years in 2017
Vaccinations are on the rise but the government recently admitted its eradication strategy
has failed In 1987 the Federal Health Office announced a vaccination strategy that it hoped
would eradicate measles by the year 2000 Seventeen years after that deadline the
vaccination rate lies at 87 below the 95 that the World Health Organization deems a
target for eradication Daniel Koch head of the infectious disease unit at the Federal Health
Office told swissinfoch that ldquothe number of people who are vaccinated has been
consistently rising but wersquore not yet where we want to berdquo Over the past several decades
Switzerland has had significant outbreaks roughly every four years In a long-term outbreak
between 2006 and 2009 Switzerland reached the highest measles rate in Europe with 4371
registered cases SWI
United Kingdom Nestleacute to remove 10 of sugar from all
snacks in UK and Ireland by 2018
7 March - Nestleacute one of the worldrsquos biggest chocolate manufacturers will take 10 of the
sugar out of its confectionery in the UK and Ireland by 2018 The corporation says the cut is
from the levels existing in its sugary products in 2015 and will amount to about 7500
tonnes The announcement follows public concern over the quantity of sugar in the
countryrsquos diet and its contribution to rising obesity levels The threat of a sugar levy on soft
drinks has encouraged the reformulation of Irn Bru and Lucozade which will escape the tax
although there have been no such moves by PepsiCo or Coca-Cola hellip Nestleacute says it will not
use artificial sweeteners in its confectionery Instead it plans to replace sugar with higher
quantities of existing ingredients or other non-artificial ingredients and ensuring products
are below a certain amount of calories The Guardian
top of page
USNORTHCOM
Canada Dallaire testifies mefloquine drug impaired
thought process in Rwanda
7 March - The Canadian army officer who led the UN peacekeeping mission during the
Rwandan genocide says the antimalarial drug mefloquine affected his thought processes
during his deployment but the military refused to let him stop taking it Romeacuteo Dallaire the
human rights activist retired lieutenant-general and former senator who speaks openly
about his struggles with post-traumatic stress syndrome told the Commons veterans affairs
19
committee this week that mefloquine interferes with the ability to make quick decisions in
military theatres hellip Soldiers who were given mefloquine in Somalia in the early 1990s as
part of a poorly administered ndash and possibly illegal ndash clinical trial run by the Department of
National Defence have told the veterans affairs committee that the medication caused
lasting brain damage hellip Health Canada began in December to review available information
about any causal link between the use of mefloquine and persistent neurological or
psychiatric adverse events their frequency and severity and whether any particular segment
of the population is at increased risk The Globe and Mail
US CDC wants better data to manage global
communicable diseases
6 March - To better understand how diseases travel with international airline passengers
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is seeking advanced global aviation
intelligence data and analytical tools to enhance the agencyrsquos ability to analyze global
aviation patterns In a request for proposals posted Feb 16 the CDC said it needs more
advanced data and tools because air travel has become an increasingly common conduit for
the spread of disease ldquoThe need is immediate and ongoing for a single secure and web-
based global aviation database and analytical application to support analysis of aviation
global capacity and domestic and international passenger traffic (historical and future)rdquo the
RFP said GCN
US EPA chief unconvinced on CO2 link to global
warming
9 March - The new head of the Environmental Protection Agency said on Thursday he is not
convinced that carbon dioxide from human activity is the main driver of climate change and
said he wants Congress to weigh in on whether CO2 is a harmful pollutant that should be
regulated In an interview with CNBC EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt said the Trump
administration will make an announcement on fuel efficiency standards for cars very soon
stressing that he and President Donald Trump believe current standards were rushed
through Pruitt 48 is a climate change denier who sued the agency he now leads more than
a dozen times as Oklahomas attorney general He said he was not convinced that carbon
dioxide pollution from burning fossil fuels like oil gas and coal is the main cause of climate
change a conclusion widely embraced by scientists Reuters
US EPA environmental justice leader resigns amid
White House plans to dismantle program
9 March - A key environmental justice leader at the Environmental Protection Agency has
resigned saying that a recent budget proposal to defund such work would harm the people
who most rely on the EPA Mustafa Ali a senior advisor and assistant associate
administrator for environmental justice has served more than two decades at the agency
working to ease the burden of air and water pollution in hundreds of poor minority
20
communities nationwide He helped found the EPArsquos environmental justice office during the
early 1990s and became a key adviser to agency administrators under Republican and
Democratic presidents hellip [T]he White House is seeking to close the agencyrsquos Office of
Environmental Justice hellip [T]he new administration hellip ldquoassumes any future EJ specific policy
work can be transferred to the Office of Policyrdquo The Washington Post
US FDA has encouraged development but needs to
clarify the role of draft guidance and develop qualified
infectious disease product guidance
January 2017 - Antibiotics have long played a key role in treating infections but this role is
threatened by growing resistance to existing antibiotics and the decline in the development
of new drugs hellip The [Generating Antibiotic Incentives Now (GAIN)] provisions created the
[qualified infectious disease products (QIDP)] designation and its associated incentives to
encourage the development of new drugs to treat serious or life-threatening infections
While it is too soon to tell if GAIN has stimulated the development of new drugs GAO was
asked to provide information on FDArsquos efforts to implement GAIN hellip GAO recommends that
FDA clarify the role of draft guidance for and develop written guidance on the QIDP
designation to help drug sponsors better understand the designation and its associated
incentives HHS said it would consider GAOrsquos first recommendation and agreed with the
second GAO believes the first recommendation should also be adopted GAO
US Forbidding forecast for Lyme disease in the
northeast
6 March - hellip [Rick] Keesing and [Felicia] Ostfeld who have
studied Lyme for more than 20 years have come up with an
early warning system for the disease They can predict how
many cases there will be a year in advance by looking at one
key measurement Count the mice the year before The
number of critters scampering around the forest in the
summer correlates to the Lyme cases the following summer theyve reported The
explanation is simple Mice are highly efficient transmitters of Lyme They infect up to 95
percent of ticks that feed on them Mice are responsible for infecting the majority of ticks
carrying Lyme in the Northeast And ticks love mice An individual mouse might have 50
60 even 100 ticks covering its ears and face Ostfeld says So that mouse plague last year
means there is going to be a Lyme plague this year NPR
US Obamacare repeal guts crucial public health funds
8 March - The latest Republican health-care bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act would
eliminate funds for fundamental public health programs including for the prevention of
bioterrorism and disease outbreaks as well as money to provide immunizations and heart-
disease screenings As part of the ACA or Obamacare the Prevention and Public Health
21
Fund provides almost $1 billion annually to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Since 2010 the fund has been an increasingly important source of money for core CDC
programs today accounting for about 12 percent of the CDCrsquos total budget The GOP bill
would eliminate the Prevention and Public Health Fund starting in October of next year No
clear replacement has been proposed The Washington Post
US Patients demand the right to try experimental
drugs but costs can be steep 3 March - In the last three years 33 US states have passed laws aimed at helping dying
people get easier access to experimental treatments that are still in the early stages of
human testing Supporters say these patients are just looking for the right to try these
treatments Such laws sound compassionate but medical ethicists warn they pose
worrisome risks to the health and finances of vulnerable patients hellip Dr R Adams Dudley
director of UCSFs Center for Healthcare Value [says] If we take the FDA out of it how do
we protect people from physicians or drug companies that will want to sell them things and
will want to prey on their desperation hellip Patients could spend huge amounts of money
trying a drug that hasnt been proved to work he says And the patient may also be giving
up their hopes for a controlled peaceful death at home NPR
US Ten million lives saved by 1962 breakthrough study
says 3 March - Nearly 200 million cases of polio measles mumps rubella varicella adenovirus
rabies and hepatitis Amdashand approximately 450000 deaths from these diseasesmdashwere
prevented in the US alone between 1963 and 2015 by vaccination researchers estimate
In 1963 vaccination against these infections became widespread thanks to the
development of a human cell strain that allowed vaccines to be produced safely Globally
the vaccines developed from this strain and its derivatives prevented an estimated 45
billion cases of disease and saved more than 10 million lives Author S Jay Olshansky
professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of Illinois at Chicago School of
Public Health hellip used previously-published data on cases and deaths for each disease in the
US in 1960 before vaccines were available for these diseases Medical Xpress
US US skin disease burden expected to increase 3 March - More than one-fourth of Americans (27) were seen by a physician for skin
disease in 2013 and they averaged 16 skin diseases each researchers found Skin disease
costs at least $75 billion to treat in a single year and is an especially big problem in the 65-
and-older population which tends to get more skin diseases due to lifelong cumulative sun
exposure and increasing susceptibility to bacterial viral and fungal diseases With the
projected increase in the age group 65 years and older in the US population combined
with the increased costs of currently in-use and newly developed dermatologic treatment
options the economic burden of skin disease will continue to grow the investigators
wrote MedPage Today
top of page
22
USPACOM
India India abortion - police find 19 female foetuses
6 March - Police in the western Indian state of Maharashtra have found 19 aborted female
foetuses near a hospital Senior police officials in Sangli district said the remains were
buried with the intention of disposing them The police told the BBC that they found the
foetuses while they were investigating the death of a woman who had undergone an illegal
abortion Activists say the incident proves yet again that female foeticide is rampant in India
despite awareness campaigns The police said that the woman had died in a botched
abortion and they were looking for the foetus near a local hospital when they made the
grisly discovery It appears to be an abortion racket We have arrested the husband of the
woman and have launched a manhunt for the doctor who has gone missing Dattatray
Shinde superintendent of police told the BBC BBC News
India Missing the signals - Indiarsquos anti-vaccination social
media campaign
7 March - India recently launched a one-month campaign to vaccinate over 35 million
9-month to 15-year old children with a measles-rubella vaccine across five states The
campaign marked the start of a two-year initiative aiming to vaccinate over 400 million
children across India ndash part of a larger global effort to eliminate measles and rubella By the
end of the first month of the campaign it became clear that it was struggling to meet its
goal A different kind of campaign was circulating on WhatsApp and Facebook ndash fuelling a
mix of conspiracy theories safety concerns and questioning around why the vaccine and
the campaign were needed Whatrsquos more the rumours were taking hold in the wealthier
southern states with generally the best education and health indicators in the country
The Vaccine Confidence Project
Myanmar Tuberculosis kills 14 in Myanmarrsquos remote
north
9 March - At least 14 people have died from pulmonary tuberculosis in a remote and
impoverished region in Myanmarrsquos north this year according to officials Thursday The
illness characterized by a persistent cough has hit two villages in Lahe Township of the
mountainous Naga region located around 1300 kilometers (800 miles) from Myanmarrsquos
largest city Yangon Maung Kal a lawmaker representing the area told Anadolu Agency on
Thursday that 14 middle-aged people -- including six women -- have succumbed to the
disease over the past two months hellip According to World Health Organization (WHO)
estimates more than 150000 people suffer from tuberculosis in Myanmar which is
currently included in a list of 30 countries recognized as high-burden with the infectious
respiratory disease Anadolu Agency
top of page
23
USSOUTHCOM
Brazil WHO expands vaccination advice as yellow fever
covers southeast Brazil state
7 March - The entire Brazilian state of Espirito Santo is now considered at risk for yellow
fever transmission the World Health Organization says raising concerns the deadly virus
could spread to the nations biggest cities An ongoing yellow fever outbreak has so far
been limited to rural areas hellip [b]ut there are growing concerns the virus could spread to
urban centers like Rio de Janeiro Sao Paulo Belo Horizonte and Vitoria - areas where tens
of millions live Reuters
Ecuador Leads desperate artisans
Spring 2017 - hellip Lead has been used in ceramic glazes for thousands of years for its
beautiful and strong finishmdashbut more importantlymdashbecause it enables the glaze to melt at
a lower temperature facilitating the use of backyard low-fire kilns In La Victoria to get the
lead for these glazes artisans turned to the lead plates from car batteries manually
removing them and melting them down in their kilns This process aerosolized the lead
enabling it to be inhaled by people and distributed across the environment widely
contaminating soil foods objects and homes hellip [Edgar] Neto tells me that environmental
health inspections should be done in La Victoria every three months but there are no police
to enforce the environmental laws Although no one in La Victoria tells stories of fines levied
for crimes against the environment the social structure within the political and artisan
associations here is strong and much of the lead use among artisans has changed hellip While
excessive exposure and acute lead toxicity may have abated leadrsquos potential for health
problems continuesmdashin the form of chronic exposure Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health
top of page
24
US Military | Global | Influenza | VeterinaryFood Safety | Wellness | Contact Us
USAFRICOM | USCENTCOM | USEUCOM | USNORTHCOM | USPACOM | USSOUTHCOM
The Army Public Health Weekly Update does not analyze the information as to its strategic or tactical impact on the US Army and is not a medical
intelligence product Medical intelligence is available from the National Center for Medical Intelligence
External Links The appearance of external hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the US Army of this Web site or the information products
or services contained therein For other than authorized activities such as military exchanges and MWR sites the US Army does not exercise any
editorial control over the information you may find at these locations Such links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of this product
Although we avoid links to sites that may be blocked all sites may not be accessible from all locations While we verify the links at the time of
publication we cannot guarantee that they will be active in the future
Articles appearing in the Update do not necessarily represent US Army Medical Command opinionsviews policy or guidance and should not be
construed or interpreted as being endorsed by the US Army Medical Command
The Army Public Health Weekly Update is published by the Public Health Information Directorate Army Public Health Center
11
VETERINARYFOOD SAFETY
2 dead in multi-state Listeria outbreak traced to Vulto
cheese
9 March - Two people are dead and four others are confirmed sick with a strain of Listeria
monocytogenes found in cheese made from unpasteurized raw milk Vulto Creamery is
recalling the cheese from retailers and distributors nationwide Itrsquos been more than five
months since the first outbreak victim became sick on Sept 1 2016 but federal officials said
Jos Vulto owner of the Walton NY cheese operation initiated the recall as soon as he heard
about the ldquocannot rule outrdquo test results on his cheese He began pulling cheese back from
his customers March 3 and posted the public recall Tuesday Since then the Food and Drug
Administration has confirmed Listeria monocytogenes in Vultorsquos finished product hellip The
most recent illness began on Jan 22 Food Safety News
fMRI predicts if Fido is fit for service
7 March - Using functional MRI to identify certain areas of brain activity helped improved
predictions about which dogs were not suitable for service dog training a small study
found hellip [R]esearchers said they used fMRI on 43 service dogs prior to training -- 33 of
which completed training and were matched with a person and 10 of which were released
for behavioral reasons Dogs with a higher level of response in the amygdala an area of the
brain linked with excitability were more likely to fail the service training program This was a
modest improvement over current prediction methods that involve evaluating the dogs
temperament MedPage Today
Four more states report soy nut butter E coli infections
8 March - Four more people from four additional states became infected with Shiga toxin-
producing E coli O157H7 bacteria after consuming a certain brand of soy nut butter and
granola according to the CDC Missouri Virginia Washington and Wisconsin have all
reported individuals becoming ill after consuming IM Healthy Brand SoyNut Butter --
bringing the total affected to 16 Two additional people have been hospitalized with
hemolytic uremic syndrome All five individuals with this type of kidney failure were
children a CDC investigation found MedPage Today
The military kills 8500 pigs and goats every year for
medical training A new bill would end that
4 March - A bipartisan group of lawmakers is trying to stop the Defense Department from
killing about 8500 goats and pigs a year in medical training exercises designed to prepare
troops for combat Rep Hank Johnson D-Ga and Rep Tom Marino R-Pa introduced a bill
on Tuesday that would require the military to use only human-based methods to train
service members to treat injuries sustained on the battlefield and end the use of live tissue
12
training in which troops stab or shoot pigs and goats to simulate the treatment of combat
trauma by Oct 1 2020 Johnson told the Washington Examiner he intends to raise the issue
during debate on the fiscal 2018 National Defense Authorization Act and hopes to use the
must-pass bill as a vehicle to ban live-tissue training He said simulators offer better combat
training than live animals are more humane and are ultimately more cost-effective
Washington Examiner
top of page
WELLNESS
Arthritis afflicts about 1 in 4 adults in the US CDC
report finds
7 March - About one in four adults in the United States suffers from arthritis according to a
new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Vital Signs report published Tuesday Of
the 54 million people in the United States who have this debilitating condition not all are
elderly About 60 percent of those with arthritis were between the ages of 18 and 64 that is
working age Activity limitations from arthritis increased by 20 percent since 2002 the
report found Simple everyday tasks such as walking or lifting bags are challenging for 24
million people affected by the condition in the United States Even though movement is
painful and difficult for people with arthritis the report suggests that increased physical
activity can mitigate arthritis symptoms by 40 percent Despite the proven health benefits of
physical activity for arthritis symptoms about 1 in 3 adults with arthritis in the United States
self-reports being physically inactive The Washington Post
Is dieting passeacute Study finds fewer overweight people try
to lose weight
8 March - An increasing number of overweight Americans have lost the motivation to diet
according to a new study hellip Back in 1990 when researchers asked overweight Americans if
they were trying to lose weight 56 percent said yes But this has changed According to the
latest data just 49 percent say theyre trying This may not seem like a big decline But given
that about 2 out of every 3 Americans are either overweight or obese a decline of 7 percent
means millions more people may have given up on dieting The trend is particularly evident
among black women says study author Jian Zhang an epidemiologist at Georgia Southern
University mdash though the trend is seen across the population hellip Its a big concern study
author Jian Zhang told us Obesity increases the risk of a whole range of diseases and
theres a concern that people who are overweight and obese may be ignoring or
overlooking the risks Not everyone is convinced that the dip in dieting is bad Theres a
possible good news story in this says Janet Tomiyama a psychologist at UCLA who studies
eating behavior and weight stigma hellip Tomiyama says there are signs that the strong anti-fat
13
bias in our culture may be shifting NPR
Poor diet tied to nearly half of US deaths from heart
disease stroke diabetes
7 March - Ensuring that diets include the right amount of certain foods may help the US
cut deaths from heart disease stroke and type 2 diabetes by almost half suggests a new
study About 45 percent of deaths from those causes in 2012 could be blamed on people
eating too much or too little of 10 types of foods researchers found hellip [Renata] Micha and
colleagues identified 10 dietary components closely tied to heart disease stroke and type 2
diabetes sodium fruits vegetables whole grains nuts and seeds unprocessed red meats
processed meats polyunsaturated fats like soybean or corn oils seafood omega-3 fats and
sugar-sweetened beverages Based on participants food diaries the researchers estimated
that 318656 of the 702308 deaths from heart disease stroke or type 2 diabetes were tied
to people getting too much or too little of those 10 foods or dietary factors Reuters
Significant differences among occupational groups found
in short sleep duration
7 March - According to a new study published in the CDCrsquos Morbidity and Mortality Weekly
Report there are big differences in the amount of sleep people get depending on their
occupation ldquoWe found that overall prevalence of short sleep duration was 365 percent
among the working adults who responded to the survey ndash but sleep duration varied widely
by occupationrdquo said study author Taylor Shockey MPH of CDCrsquos National Institute for
Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) ldquoWorkers in occupations where alternative
shiftwork is common such as production health care and some transportation jobs were
more likely to have a higher adjusted prevalence of short sleep duration Workers in other
occupation groups such as teachers farmers or pilots were the most likely to report
getting enough sleeprdquo Among the 22 major occupational groups that were researched the
prevalence of short sleep duration ranged from 429 percent for production workers to 313
percent among workers in the farming fishing and forestry occupation group as well as the
education training and library occupation group Other groups that were found to have a
high percentage of short sleep durations include health care support health care
practitioners and technical food preparation and serving-related and protective service
Occupational Health amp Safety
The grateful life may be a longer one
7 March - Can a positive attitude save your life Therersquos not conclusive evidence but hints
are tantalizing enough that researchers hellip are trying to find out ldquoA lot of the long-term
research says if yoursquore an optimist yoursquore more likely to have better healthrdquo says Jeff
Huffman ldquoLetrsquos say yoursquore not an optimist mdash can we turn you into one Can we promote
that and teach that in a durable way [And] will it really work [to improve health] Itrsquos a big
and open questionrdquo The Cardiac Psychiatry Research Program combines exercises designed
to promote positive psychology in cardiac and diabetes patients with techniques known to
14
change behavior such as goal-setting to encourage patients to adhere to medication
regimens improve their diets and become more active The best chance for a positive
outlook to affect health is by promoting exercise Huffman says Harvard Gazette
Warm-ups cool-downs what works what doesnrsquot
8 March - hellip [S]cientists hellip decided to systematically
examine the effects of some of the worldrsquos best-known
warm-up programs the FIFA 11 and its recent update the
FIFA 11+ hellip [T]he original FIFA 11 warm-up is light and
quick lasting about 10 minutes and involving various
kinds of jumping shuffling and balancing exercises The
updated FIFA 11+ is more intense requiring repeated sprints and exercises such as squats
leg lifts and vertical leaps hellip [T]he new study systematically pooled data from the best
earlier studies Those boys girls men and women who regularly completed the FIFA 11+
warm-up before training or games were about 40 percent less likely to sustain knee ankle
hamstring and hip or groin injuries during the season than athletes who warmed up in
other ways Interestingly the easier FIFA 11 warm-up did not substantially reduce the
incidence of subsequent injuries The New York Times
top of page
USAFRICOM
Somalia says 110 dead in last 48 hours due to drought
4 March - Some 110 people have died in southern Somalia in the last two days from famine
and diarrhea resulting from a drought the prime minister said on Saturday as the area
braces itself for widespread shortages of food In February United Nations childrens agency
UNICEF said the drought in Somalia could lead to up to 270000 children suffering from
severe acute malnutrition this year It is a difficult situation for the pastoralists and their
livestock Some people have been hit by famine and diarrhea at the same time In the last
48 hours 110 people died due to famine and diarrhea in Bay region Prime Minister Hassan
Ali Khaires office said in a statement Reuters
South Sudan South Sudan will now charge $10000 for
an aid worker permit Why
7 March - Late last month famine was declared in two counties of the civil-war torn East
African country of South Sudan With 100000 people at risk for dying of starvation in that
area alone and millions more on the brink of crisis-level food shortages throughout the
country South Sudanese President Salva Kiir promised unimpeded access to humanitarian
aid organizations working there A few days later the South Sudanese government hiked the
15
fee for work permits for foreign aid workers from $100 to $10000 Its unclear whether the
fee would apply only to newcomers or to those already there as well Whatever the case the
amount is absolutely unheard of globally said Julien Schopp director for Humanitarian
Practice at InterAction an alliance of 180 nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) working
around the world No organization can afford this and if NGOs go to their institutional
donors to request that extra money Im pretty sure that [the donors] will be reluctant to pay
this because they will see this to some extent as ransom NPR
top of page
USCENTCOM
Afghanistan Afghan fighting pressures hospitals clinics
- childrens rights group
6 March - Hospitals and clinics in Afghanistan have increasingly been targeted by armed
groups over the past two years weakening an already degraded health system a childrens
rights group said in a report issued on Monday Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict
said attacks had further restricted or even blocked medical care in a country where almost a
third of the population of more than 30 million lacks access to basic health services Armed
groups had forced temporary or permanent closure of medical facilities damaged or
destroyed medical facilities looted medical supplies stolen ambulances threatened
intimidated extorted or detained medical personnel and occupied medical facilities for
military purposes it said The report hellip said there were 119 conflict-related incidents
targeting medical facilities and personnel last year quoting a figure from the United
Nations Mission in Afghanistan Reuters
Afghanistan ISIS militants disguised as doctors kill 38 in
Kabul hospital attack
8 March - Islamic State has claimed responsibility for an attack on a Kabul military hospital
by gunmen disguised as doctors who breached the facility and battled security forces for
hours More than 30 people died and dozens more were injured the Afghan defence
ministry said The attack began with a suicide bombing at the rear of the hospital complex
in the Afghan capital Officials said at least three gunmen dressed as medical staff then
entered the 400-bed Sardar Mohammad Daud Khan facility and took up positions on the
upper floors A second explosion was heard as Afghan special forces engaged the gunmen
and ldquoheavy fightingrdquo ensued a defence ministry spokesman said The Guardian
Iraq ISIS allegedly used chemical weapons in Mosul
battle injuring civilians
6 March - ISIS militants used chemical weapons during the battle for the city of Mosul last
16
week injuring a number of civilians according to a senior Iraqi security official The officials
assessment comes after the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) issued a
statement last week saying that their workers had treated patients from Mosul who were
suffering from symptoms consistent with exposure to a toxic chemical agent Over a
number of days last week the ICRC said it treated 15 such patients hellip It was certainly [the
result of] a toxic chemical agent because their symptoms were absolutely clear People had
blisters they vomited They had irritation in the eyes and coughed she added The World
Health Organization said in a statement that hellip the use of chemical weapons is a war
crime Both the WHO and ICRC said that the patients symptoms were consistent with
exposure to a blistering agent NBC News
Syria Syrian children suffer staggering levels of trauma
and distress ndash report
6 March - A Save the Children study says Syriarsquos mental
health crisis has reached a tipping point and that severe
distress among children could cause life-long damage
The report says 58 million of children in Syria are in need
of aid Children in Syria are suffering from ldquotoxic stressrdquo a
severe form of psychological trauma that can cause life-
long damage according to a study that charts a rise in self-harm and suicide attempts
among children as young as 12 hellip More than 70 of children interviewed experienced
common symptoms of ldquotoxic stressrdquo or post-traumatic stress disorder such as bedwetting
the study found Loss of speech aggression and substance abuse are also commonplace
About 48 of adults reported seeing children who have lost the ability to speak or who
have developed speech impediments since the war began hellip The majority of children
interviewed showed signs of ldquosevere emotional stressrdquo and 78 of them felt grief and
extreme sadness some of the time The Guardian
top of page
USEUCOM
EuropeUS Mutual Recognition promises new
framework for pharmaceutical inspections for United
States and European Union
2 March - The United States and the European Union (EU) completed an exchange of letters
to amend the Pharmaceutical Annex to the 1998 US-EU Mutual Recognition Agreement
Under this agreement US and EU regulators will be able to utilize each otherrsquos good
manufacturing practice inspections of pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities The
17
amended agreement represents the culmination of nearly three years of US Food and Drug
Administration and EU cooperation as part of the Mutual Reliance Initiative and will allow
the FDA and EU drug inspectors to rely upon information from drug inspections conducted
within each otherrsquos borders Ultimately this will enable the FDA and EU to avoid the
duplication of drug inspections lower inspection costs and enable regulators to devote
more resources to other parts of the world where there may be greater risk FDA
Israel marijuana Users to face fine rather than criminal
charge
5 March - The Israeli government has taken steps to reduce the penalties for personal
marijuana use It backed plans to issue fines initially and only resort to criminal charges for
repeat offenders Selling buying and producing the drug will remain illegal and the move
must still be ratified by parliament According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime almost
9 of Israelis use cannabis though some experts believe the figure to be higher The move
follows recommendations by a committee set up to study the issue and moves by a
number of US states and European nations to decriminalise use of the drug BBC News
Romania Measles outbreak in Romania - ECDC assesses
the risk of spread to and sustained transmission in
EUEEA countries
7 March - An outbreak of measles is ongoing in Romania From the end of September 2016
to 17 February 2017 the Romanian National Institute of Public Health received reports of
3071 cases of measles Cases continue to be reported despite ongoing response measures
at national level through reinforced vaccination activities hellip Considering the size and
geographical spread of the ongoing measles outbreak in Romania the likelihood of
exportation of measles cases is high Between 1 February 2016 and 31 January 2017 ECDC
received reports of 4484 cases of measles from 30 EUEEA countries hellip Given that the
vaccination coverage target [of 95] is still to be reached in a number of EUEEA countries
the risk of spread and sustained transmission from areas where measles transmission is
occurring in areas with susceptible populations is high Eurosurveillance
Romania Romanias healthcare exodus
9 March - hellip Romania has bled out tens of thousands of doctors nurses dentists and
pharmacists since joining the European Union a decade ago lured abroad by what the
country lacks significantly higher pay modern infrastructure and functional healthcare
systems France Germany and Britain are among the most popular destinations The
consequences are dire Romania is one of the EU states with the fewest doctors Nearly a
third of hospital positions are vacant and the health ministry estimates one in four
Romanians has insufficient access to essential healthcare hellip This despite the fact that
Romania is a leading EU state when it comes to the number of medical graduates Reuters
18
Switzerland Measles outbreaks continue to plague
Switzerland
28 February - Switzerland is on track to see the most cases of measles in years in 2017
Vaccinations are on the rise but the government recently admitted its eradication strategy
has failed In 1987 the Federal Health Office announced a vaccination strategy that it hoped
would eradicate measles by the year 2000 Seventeen years after that deadline the
vaccination rate lies at 87 below the 95 that the World Health Organization deems a
target for eradication Daniel Koch head of the infectious disease unit at the Federal Health
Office told swissinfoch that ldquothe number of people who are vaccinated has been
consistently rising but wersquore not yet where we want to berdquo Over the past several decades
Switzerland has had significant outbreaks roughly every four years In a long-term outbreak
between 2006 and 2009 Switzerland reached the highest measles rate in Europe with 4371
registered cases SWI
United Kingdom Nestleacute to remove 10 of sugar from all
snacks in UK and Ireland by 2018
7 March - Nestleacute one of the worldrsquos biggest chocolate manufacturers will take 10 of the
sugar out of its confectionery in the UK and Ireland by 2018 The corporation says the cut is
from the levels existing in its sugary products in 2015 and will amount to about 7500
tonnes The announcement follows public concern over the quantity of sugar in the
countryrsquos diet and its contribution to rising obesity levels The threat of a sugar levy on soft
drinks has encouraged the reformulation of Irn Bru and Lucozade which will escape the tax
although there have been no such moves by PepsiCo or Coca-Cola hellip Nestleacute says it will not
use artificial sweeteners in its confectionery Instead it plans to replace sugar with higher
quantities of existing ingredients or other non-artificial ingredients and ensuring products
are below a certain amount of calories The Guardian
top of page
USNORTHCOM
Canada Dallaire testifies mefloquine drug impaired
thought process in Rwanda
7 March - The Canadian army officer who led the UN peacekeeping mission during the
Rwandan genocide says the antimalarial drug mefloquine affected his thought processes
during his deployment but the military refused to let him stop taking it Romeacuteo Dallaire the
human rights activist retired lieutenant-general and former senator who speaks openly
about his struggles with post-traumatic stress syndrome told the Commons veterans affairs
19
committee this week that mefloquine interferes with the ability to make quick decisions in
military theatres hellip Soldiers who were given mefloquine in Somalia in the early 1990s as
part of a poorly administered ndash and possibly illegal ndash clinical trial run by the Department of
National Defence have told the veterans affairs committee that the medication caused
lasting brain damage hellip Health Canada began in December to review available information
about any causal link between the use of mefloquine and persistent neurological or
psychiatric adverse events their frequency and severity and whether any particular segment
of the population is at increased risk The Globe and Mail
US CDC wants better data to manage global
communicable diseases
6 March - To better understand how diseases travel with international airline passengers
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is seeking advanced global aviation
intelligence data and analytical tools to enhance the agencyrsquos ability to analyze global
aviation patterns In a request for proposals posted Feb 16 the CDC said it needs more
advanced data and tools because air travel has become an increasingly common conduit for
the spread of disease ldquoThe need is immediate and ongoing for a single secure and web-
based global aviation database and analytical application to support analysis of aviation
global capacity and domestic and international passenger traffic (historical and future)rdquo the
RFP said GCN
US EPA chief unconvinced on CO2 link to global
warming
9 March - The new head of the Environmental Protection Agency said on Thursday he is not
convinced that carbon dioxide from human activity is the main driver of climate change and
said he wants Congress to weigh in on whether CO2 is a harmful pollutant that should be
regulated In an interview with CNBC EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt said the Trump
administration will make an announcement on fuel efficiency standards for cars very soon
stressing that he and President Donald Trump believe current standards were rushed
through Pruitt 48 is a climate change denier who sued the agency he now leads more than
a dozen times as Oklahomas attorney general He said he was not convinced that carbon
dioxide pollution from burning fossil fuels like oil gas and coal is the main cause of climate
change a conclusion widely embraced by scientists Reuters
US EPA environmental justice leader resigns amid
White House plans to dismantle program
9 March - A key environmental justice leader at the Environmental Protection Agency has
resigned saying that a recent budget proposal to defund such work would harm the people
who most rely on the EPA Mustafa Ali a senior advisor and assistant associate
administrator for environmental justice has served more than two decades at the agency
working to ease the burden of air and water pollution in hundreds of poor minority
20
communities nationwide He helped found the EPArsquos environmental justice office during the
early 1990s and became a key adviser to agency administrators under Republican and
Democratic presidents hellip [T]he White House is seeking to close the agencyrsquos Office of
Environmental Justice hellip [T]he new administration hellip ldquoassumes any future EJ specific policy
work can be transferred to the Office of Policyrdquo The Washington Post
US FDA has encouraged development but needs to
clarify the role of draft guidance and develop qualified
infectious disease product guidance
January 2017 - Antibiotics have long played a key role in treating infections but this role is
threatened by growing resistance to existing antibiotics and the decline in the development
of new drugs hellip The [Generating Antibiotic Incentives Now (GAIN)] provisions created the
[qualified infectious disease products (QIDP)] designation and its associated incentives to
encourage the development of new drugs to treat serious or life-threatening infections
While it is too soon to tell if GAIN has stimulated the development of new drugs GAO was
asked to provide information on FDArsquos efforts to implement GAIN hellip GAO recommends that
FDA clarify the role of draft guidance for and develop written guidance on the QIDP
designation to help drug sponsors better understand the designation and its associated
incentives HHS said it would consider GAOrsquos first recommendation and agreed with the
second GAO believes the first recommendation should also be adopted GAO
US Forbidding forecast for Lyme disease in the
northeast
6 March - hellip [Rick] Keesing and [Felicia] Ostfeld who have
studied Lyme for more than 20 years have come up with an
early warning system for the disease They can predict how
many cases there will be a year in advance by looking at one
key measurement Count the mice the year before The
number of critters scampering around the forest in the
summer correlates to the Lyme cases the following summer theyve reported The
explanation is simple Mice are highly efficient transmitters of Lyme They infect up to 95
percent of ticks that feed on them Mice are responsible for infecting the majority of ticks
carrying Lyme in the Northeast And ticks love mice An individual mouse might have 50
60 even 100 ticks covering its ears and face Ostfeld says So that mouse plague last year
means there is going to be a Lyme plague this year NPR
US Obamacare repeal guts crucial public health funds
8 March - The latest Republican health-care bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act would
eliminate funds for fundamental public health programs including for the prevention of
bioterrorism and disease outbreaks as well as money to provide immunizations and heart-
disease screenings As part of the ACA or Obamacare the Prevention and Public Health
21
Fund provides almost $1 billion annually to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Since 2010 the fund has been an increasingly important source of money for core CDC
programs today accounting for about 12 percent of the CDCrsquos total budget The GOP bill
would eliminate the Prevention and Public Health Fund starting in October of next year No
clear replacement has been proposed The Washington Post
US Patients demand the right to try experimental
drugs but costs can be steep 3 March - In the last three years 33 US states have passed laws aimed at helping dying
people get easier access to experimental treatments that are still in the early stages of
human testing Supporters say these patients are just looking for the right to try these
treatments Such laws sound compassionate but medical ethicists warn they pose
worrisome risks to the health and finances of vulnerable patients hellip Dr R Adams Dudley
director of UCSFs Center for Healthcare Value [says] If we take the FDA out of it how do
we protect people from physicians or drug companies that will want to sell them things and
will want to prey on their desperation hellip Patients could spend huge amounts of money
trying a drug that hasnt been proved to work he says And the patient may also be giving
up their hopes for a controlled peaceful death at home NPR
US Ten million lives saved by 1962 breakthrough study
says 3 March - Nearly 200 million cases of polio measles mumps rubella varicella adenovirus
rabies and hepatitis Amdashand approximately 450000 deaths from these diseasesmdashwere
prevented in the US alone between 1963 and 2015 by vaccination researchers estimate
In 1963 vaccination against these infections became widespread thanks to the
development of a human cell strain that allowed vaccines to be produced safely Globally
the vaccines developed from this strain and its derivatives prevented an estimated 45
billion cases of disease and saved more than 10 million lives Author S Jay Olshansky
professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of Illinois at Chicago School of
Public Health hellip used previously-published data on cases and deaths for each disease in the
US in 1960 before vaccines were available for these diseases Medical Xpress
US US skin disease burden expected to increase 3 March - More than one-fourth of Americans (27) were seen by a physician for skin
disease in 2013 and they averaged 16 skin diseases each researchers found Skin disease
costs at least $75 billion to treat in a single year and is an especially big problem in the 65-
and-older population which tends to get more skin diseases due to lifelong cumulative sun
exposure and increasing susceptibility to bacterial viral and fungal diseases With the
projected increase in the age group 65 years and older in the US population combined
with the increased costs of currently in-use and newly developed dermatologic treatment
options the economic burden of skin disease will continue to grow the investigators
wrote MedPage Today
top of page
22
USPACOM
India India abortion - police find 19 female foetuses
6 March - Police in the western Indian state of Maharashtra have found 19 aborted female
foetuses near a hospital Senior police officials in Sangli district said the remains were
buried with the intention of disposing them The police told the BBC that they found the
foetuses while they were investigating the death of a woman who had undergone an illegal
abortion Activists say the incident proves yet again that female foeticide is rampant in India
despite awareness campaigns The police said that the woman had died in a botched
abortion and they were looking for the foetus near a local hospital when they made the
grisly discovery It appears to be an abortion racket We have arrested the husband of the
woman and have launched a manhunt for the doctor who has gone missing Dattatray
Shinde superintendent of police told the BBC BBC News
India Missing the signals - Indiarsquos anti-vaccination social
media campaign
7 March - India recently launched a one-month campaign to vaccinate over 35 million
9-month to 15-year old children with a measles-rubella vaccine across five states The
campaign marked the start of a two-year initiative aiming to vaccinate over 400 million
children across India ndash part of a larger global effort to eliminate measles and rubella By the
end of the first month of the campaign it became clear that it was struggling to meet its
goal A different kind of campaign was circulating on WhatsApp and Facebook ndash fuelling a
mix of conspiracy theories safety concerns and questioning around why the vaccine and
the campaign were needed Whatrsquos more the rumours were taking hold in the wealthier
southern states with generally the best education and health indicators in the country
The Vaccine Confidence Project
Myanmar Tuberculosis kills 14 in Myanmarrsquos remote
north
9 March - At least 14 people have died from pulmonary tuberculosis in a remote and
impoverished region in Myanmarrsquos north this year according to officials Thursday The
illness characterized by a persistent cough has hit two villages in Lahe Township of the
mountainous Naga region located around 1300 kilometers (800 miles) from Myanmarrsquos
largest city Yangon Maung Kal a lawmaker representing the area told Anadolu Agency on
Thursday that 14 middle-aged people -- including six women -- have succumbed to the
disease over the past two months hellip According to World Health Organization (WHO)
estimates more than 150000 people suffer from tuberculosis in Myanmar which is
currently included in a list of 30 countries recognized as high-burden with the infectious
respiratory disease Anadolu Agency
top of page
23
USSOUTHCOM
Brazil WHO expands vaccination advice as yellow fever
covers southeast Brazil state
7 March - The entire Brazilian state of Espirito Santo is now considered at risk for yellow
fever transmission the World Health Organization says raising concerns the deadly virus
could spread to the nations biggest cities An ongoing yellow fever outbreak has so far
been limited to rural areas hellip [b]ut there are growing concerns the virus could spread to
urban centers like Rio de Janeiro Sao Paulo Belo Horizonte and Vitoria - areas where tens
of millions live Reuters
Ecuador Leads desperate artisans
Spring 2017 - hellip Lead has been used in ceramic glazes for thousands of years for its
beautiful and strong finishmdashbut more importantlymdashbecause it enables the glaze to melt at
a lower temperature facilitating the use of backyard low-fire kilns In La Victoria to get the
lead for these glazes artisans turned to the lead plates from car batteries manually
removing them and melting them down in their kilns This process aerosolized the lead
enabling it to be inhaled by people and distributed across the environment widely
contaminating soil foods objects and homes hellip [Edgar] Neto tells me that environmental
health inspections should be done in La Victoria every three months but there are no police
to enforce the environmental laws Although no one in La Victoria tells stories of fines levied
for crimes against the environment the social structure within the political and artisan
associations here is strong and much of the lead use among artisans has changed hellip While
excessive exposure and acute lead toxicity may have abated leadrsquos potential for health
problems continuesmdashin the form of chronic exposure Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health
top of page
24
US Military | Global | Influenza | VeterinaryFood Safety | Wellness | Contact Us
USAFRICOM | USCENTCOM | USEUCOM | USNORTHCOM | USPACOM | USSOUTHCOM
The Army Public Health Weekly Update does not analyze the information as to its strategic or tactical impact on the US Army and is not a medical
intelligence product Medical intelligence is available from the National Center for Medical Intelligence
External Links The appearance of external hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the US Army of this Web site or the information products
or services contained therein For other than authorized activities such as military exchanges and MWR sites the US Army does not exercise any
editorial control over the information you may find at these locations Such links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of this product
Although we avoid links to sites that may be blocked all sites may not be accessible from all locations While we verify the links at the time of
publication we cannot guarantee that they will be active in the future
Articles appearing in the Update do not necessarily represent US Army Medical Command opinionsviews policy or guidance and should not be
construed or interpreted as being endorsed by the US Army Medical Command
The Army Public Health Weekly Update is published by the Public Health Information Directorate Army Public Health Center
12
training in which troops stab or shoot pigs and goats to simulate the treatment of combat
trauma by Oct 1 2020 Johnson told the Washington Examiner he intends to raise the issue
during debate on the fiscal 2018 National Defense Authorization Act and hopes to use the
must-pass bill as a vehicle to ban live-tissue training He said simulators offer better combat
training than live animals are more humane and are ultimately more cost-effective
Washington Examiner
top of page
WELLNESS
Arthritis afflicts about 1 in 4 adults in the US CDC
report finds
7 March - About one in four adults in the United States suffers from arthritis according to a
new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Vital Signs report published Tuesday Of
the 54 million people in the United States who have this debilitating condition not all are
elderly About 60 percent of those with arthritis were between the ages of 18 and 64 that is
working age Activity limitations from arthritis increased by 20 percent since 2002 the
report found Simple everyday tasks such as walking or lifting bags are challenging for 24
million people affected by the condition in the United States Even though movement is
painful and difficult for people with arthritis the report suggests that increased physical
activity can mitigate arthritis symptoms by 40 percent Despite the proven health benefits of
physical activity for arthritis symptoms about 1 in 3 adults with arthritis in the United States
self-reports being physically inactive The Washington Post
Is dieting passeacute Study finds fewer overweight people try
to lose weight
8 March - An increasing number of overweight Americans have lost the motivation to diet
according to a new study hellip Back in 1990 when researchers asked overweight Americans if
they were trying to lose weight 56 percent said yes But this has changed According to the
latest data just 49 percent say theyre trying This may not seem like a big decline But given
that about 2 out of every 3 Americans are either overweight or obese a decline of 7 percent
means millions more people may have given up on dieting The trend is particularly evident
among black women says study author Jian Zhang an epidemiologist at Georgia Southern
University mdash though the trend is seen across the population hellip Its a big concern study
author Jian Zhang told us Obesity increases the risk of a whole range of diseases and
theres a concern that people who are overweight and obese may be ignoring or
overlooking the risks Not everyone is convinced that the dip in dieting is bad Theres a
possible good news story in this says Janet Tomiyama a psychologist at UCLA who studies
eating behavior and weight stigma hellip Tomiyama says there are signs that the strong anti-fat
13
bias in our culture may be shifting NPR
Poor diet tied to nearly half of US deaths from heart
disease stroke diabetes
7 March - Ensuring that diets include the right amount of certain foods may help the US
cut deaths from heart disease stroke and type 2 diabetes by almost half suggests a new
study About 45 percent of deaths from those causes in 2012 could be blamed on people
eating too much or too little of 10 types of foods researchers found hellip [Renata] Micha and
colleagues identified 10 dietary components closely tied to heart disease stroke and type 2
diabetes sodium fruits vegetables whole grains nuts and seeds unprocessed red meats
processed meats polyunsaturated fats like soybean or corn oils seafood omega-3 fats and
sugar-sweetened beverages Based on participants food diaries the researchers estimated
that 318656 of the 702308 deaths from heart disease stroke or type 2 diabetes were tied
to people getting too much or too little of those 10 foods or dietary factors Reuters
Significant differences among occupational groups found
in short sleep duration
7 March - According to a new study published in the CDCrsquos Morbidity and Mortality Weekly
Report there are big differences in the amount of sleep people get depending on their
occupation ldquoWe found that overall prevalence of short sleep duration was 365 percent
among the working adults who responded to the survey ndash but sleep duration varied widely
by occupationrdquo said study author Taylor Shockey MPH of CDCrsquos National Institute for
Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) ldquoWorkers in occupations where alternative
shiftwork is common such as production health care and some transportation jobs were
more likely to have a higher adjusted prevalence of short sleep duration Workers in other
occupation groups such as teachers farmers or pilots were the most likely to report
getting enough sleeprdquo Among the 22 major occupational groups that were researched the
prevalence of short sleep duration ranged from 429 percent for production workers to 313
percent among workers in the farming fishing and forestry occupation group as well as the
education training and library occupation group Other groups that were found to have a
high percentage of short sleep durations include health care support health care
practitioners and technical food preparation and serving-related and protective service
Occupational Health amp Safety
The grateful life may be a longer one
7 March - Can a positive attitude save your life Therersquos not conclusive evidence but hints
are tantalizing enough that researchers hellip are trying to find out ldquoA lot of the long-term
research says if yoursquore an optimist yoursquore more likely to have better healthrdquo says Jeff
Huffman ldquoLetrsquos say yoursquore not an optimist mdash can we turn you into one Can we promote
that and teach that in a durable way [And] will it really work [to improve health] Itrsquos a big
and open questionrdquo The Cardiac Psychiatry Research Program combines exercises designed
to promote positive psychology in cardiac and diabetes patients with techniques known to
14
change behavior such as goal-setting to encourage patients to adhere to medication
regimens improve their diets and become more active The best chance for a positive
outlook to affect health is by promoting exercise Huffman says Harvard Gazette
Warm-ups cool-downs what works what doesnrsquot
8 March - hellip [S]cientists hellip decided to systematically
examine the effects of some of the worldrsquos best-known
warm-up programs the FIFA 11 and its recent update the
FIFA 11+ hellip [T]he original FIFA 11 warm-up is light and
quick lasting about 10 minutes and involving various
kinds of jumping shuffling and balancing exercises The
updated FIFA 11+ is more intense requiring repeated sprints and exercises such as squats
leg lifts and vertical leaps hellip [T]he new study systematically pooled data from the best
earlier studies Those boys girls men and women who regularly completed the FIFA 11+
warm-up before training or games were about 40 percent less likely to sustain knee ankle
hamstring and hip or groin injuries during the season than athletes who warmed up in
other ways Interestingly the easier FIFA 11 warm-up did not substantially reduce the
incidence of subsequent injuries The New York Times
top of page
USAFRICOM
Somalia says 110 dead in last 48 hours due to drought
4 March - Some 110 people have died in southern Somalia in the last two days from famine
and diarrhea resulting from a drought the prime minister said on Saturday as the area
braces itself for widespread shortages of food In February United Nations childrens agency
UNICEF said the drought in Somalia could lead to up to 270000 children suffering from
severe acute malnutrition this year It is a difficult situation for the pastoralists and their
livestock Some people have been hit by famine and diarrhea at the same time In the last
48 hours 110 people died due to famine and diarrhea in Bay region Prime Minister Hassan
Ali Khaires office said in a statement Reuters
South Sudan South Sudan will now charge $10000 for
an aid worker permit Why
7 March - Late last month famine was declared in two counties of the civil-war torn East
African country of South Sudan With 100000 people at risk for dying of starvation in that
area alone and millions more on the brink of crisis-level food shortages throughout the
country South Sudanese President Salva Kiir promised unimpeded access to humanitarian
aid organizations working there A few days later the South Sudanese government hiked the
15
fee for work permits for foreign aid workers from $100 to $10000 Its unclear whether the
fee would apply only to newcomers or to those already there as well Whatever the case the
amount is absolutely unheard of globally said Julien Schopp director for Humanitarian
Practice at InterAction an alliance of 180 nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) working
around the world No organization can afford this and if NGOs go to their institutional
donors to request that extra money Im pretty sure that [the donors] will be reluctant to pay
this because they will see this to some extent as ransom NPR
top of page
USCENTCOM
Afghanistan Afghan fighting pressures hospitals clinics
- childrens rights group
6 March - Hospitals and clinics in Afghanistan have increasingly been targeted by armed
groups over the past two years weakening an already degraded health system a childrens
rights group said in a report issued on Monday Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict
said attacks had further restricted or even blocked medical care in a country where almost a
third of the population of more than 30 million lacks access to basic health services Armed
groups had forced temporary or permanent closure of medical facilities damaged or
destroyed medical facilities looted medical supplies stolen ambulances threatened
intimidated extorted or detained medical personnel and occupied medical facilities for
military purposes it said The report hellip said there were 119 conflict-related incidents
targeting medical facilities and personnel last year quoting a figure from the United
Nations Mission in Afghanistan Reuters
Afghanistan ISIS militants disguised as doctors kill 38 in
Kabul hospital attack
8 March - Islamic State has claimed responsibility for an attack on a Kabul military hospital
by gunmen disguised as doctors who breached the facility and battled security forces for
hours More than 30 people died and dozens more were injured the Afghan defence
ministry said The attack began with a suicide bombing at the rear of the hospital complex
in the Afghan capital Officials said at least three gunmen dressed as medical staff then
entered the 400-bed Sardar Mohammad Daud Khan facility and took up positions on the
upper floors A second explosion was heard as Afghan special forces engaged the gunmen
and ldquoheavy fightingrdquo ensued a defence ministry spokesman said The Guardian
Iraq ISIS allegedly used chemical weapons in Mosul
battle injuring civilians
6 March - ISIS militants used chemical weapons during the battle for the city of Mosul last
16
week injuring a number of civilians according to a senior Iraqi security official The officials
assessment comes after the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) issued a
statement last week saying that their workers had treated patients from Mosul who were
suffering from symptoms consistent with exposure to a toxic chemical agent Over a
number of days last week the ICRC said it treated 15 such patients hellip It was certainly [the
result of] a toxic chemical agent because their symptoms were absolutely clear People had
blisters they vomited They had irritation in the eyes and coughed she added The World
Health Organization said in a statement that hellip the use of chemical weapons is a war
crime Both the WHO and ICRC said that the patients symptoms were consistent with
exposure to a blistering agent NBC News
Syria Syrian children suffer staggering levels of trauma
and distress ndash report
6 March - A Save the Children study says Syriarsquos mental
health crisis has reached a tipping point and that severe
distress among children could cause life-long damage
The report says 58 million of children in Syria are in need
of aid Children in Syria are suffering from ldquotoxic stressrdquo a
severe form of psychological trauma that can cause life-
long damage according to a study that charts a rise in self-harm and suicide attempts
among children as young as 12 hellip More than 70 of children interviewed experienced
common symptoms of ldquotoxic stressrdquo or post-traumatic stress disorder such as bedwetting
the study found Loss of speech aggression and substance abuse are also commonplace
About 48 of adults reported seeing children who have lost the ability to speak or who
have developed speech impediments since the war began hellip The majority of children
interviewed showed signs of ldquosevere emotional stressrdquo and 78 of them felt grief and
extreme sadness some of the time The Guardian
top of page
USEUCOM
EuropeUS Mutual Recognition promises new
framework for pharmaceutical inspections for United
States and European Union
2 March - The United States and the European Union (EU) completed an exchange of letters
to amend the Pharmaceutical Annex to the 1998 US-EU Mutual Recognition Agreement
Under this agreement US and EU regulators will be able to utilize each otherrsquos good
manufacturing practice inspections of pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities The
17
amended agreement represents the culmination of nearly three years of US Food and Drug
Administration and EU cooperation as part of the Mutual Reliance Initiative and will allow
the FDA and EU drug inspectors to rely upon information from drug inspections conducted
within each otherrsquos borders Ultimately this will enable the FDA and EU to avoid the
duplication of drug inspections lower inspection costs and enable regulators to devote
more resources to other parts of the world where there may be greater risk FDA
Israel marijuana Users to face fine rather than criminal
charge
5 March - The Israeli government has taken steps to reduce the penalties for personal
marijuana use It backed plans to issue fines initially and only resort to criminal charges for
repeat offenders Selling buying and producing the drug will remain illegal and the move
must still be ratified by parliament According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime almost
9 of Israelis use cannabis though some experts believe the figure to be higher The move
follows recommendations by a committee set up to study the issue and moves by a
number of US states and European nations to decriminalise use of the drug BBC News
Romania Measles outbreak in Romania - ECDC assesses
the risk of spread to and sustained transmission in
EUEEA countries
7 March - An outbreak of measles is ongoing in Romania From the end of September 2016
to 17 February 2017 the Romanian National Institute of Public Health received reports of
3071 cases of measles Cases continue to be reported despite ongoing response measures
at national level through reinforced vaccination activities hellip Considering the size and
geographical spread of the ongoing measles outbreak in Romania the likelihood of
exportation of measles cases is high Between 1 February 2016 and 31 January 2017 ECDC
received reports of 4484 cases of measles from 30 EUEEA countries hellip Given that the
vaccination coverage target [of 95] is still to be reached in a number of EUEEA countries
the risk of spread and sustained transmission from areas where measles transmission is
occurring in areas with susceptible populations is high Eurosurveillance
Romania Romanias healthcare exodus
9 March - hellip Romania has bled out tens of thousands of doctors nurses dentists and
pharmacists since joining the European Union a decade ago lured abroad by what the
country lacks significantly higher pay modern infrastructure and functional healthcare
systems France Germany and Britain are among the most popular destinations The
consequences are dire Romania is one of the EU states with the fewest doctors Nearly a
third of hospital positions are vacant and the health ministry estimates one in four
Romanians has insufficient access to essential healthcare hellip This despite the fact that
Romania is a leading EU state when it comes to the number of medical graduates Reuters
18
Switzerland Measles outbreaks continue to plague
Switzerland
28 February - Switzerland is on track to see the most cases of measles in years in 2017
Vaccinations are on the rise but the government recently admitted its eradication strategy
has failed In 1987 the Federal Health Office announced a vaccination strategy that it hoped
would eradicate measles by the year 2000 Seventeen years after that deadline the
vaccination rate lies at 87 below the 95 that the World Health Organization deems a
target for eradication Daniel Koch head of the infectious disease unit at the Federal Health
Office told swissinfoch that ldquothe number of people who are vaccinated has been
consistently rising but wersquore not yet where we want to berdquo Over the past several decades
Switzerland has had significant outbreaks roughly every four years In a long-term outbreak
between 2006 and 2009 Switzerland reached the highest measles rate in Europe with 4371
registered cases SWI
United Kingdom Nestleacute to remove 10 of sugar from all
snacks in UK and Ireland by 2018
7 March - Nestleacute one of the worldrsquos biggest chocolate manufacturers will take 10 of the
sugar out of its confectionery in the UK and Ireland by 2018 The corporation says the cut is
from the levels existing in its sugary products in 2015 and will amount to about 7500
tonnes The announcement follows public concern over the quantity of sugar in the
countryrsquos diet and its contribution to rising obesity levels The threat of a sugar levy on soft
drinks has encouraged the reformulation of Irn Bru and Lucozade which will escape the tax
although there have been no such moves by PepsiCo or Coca-Cola hellip Nestleacute says it will not
use artificial sweeteners in its confectionery Instead it plans to replace sugar with higher
quantities of existing ingredients or other non-artificial ingredients and ensuring products
are below a certain amount of calories The Guardian
top of page
USNORTHCOM
Canada Dallaire testifies mefloquine drug impaired
thought process in Rwanda
7 March - The Canadian army officer who led the UN peacekeeping mission during the
Rwandan genocide says the antimalarial drug mefloquine affected his thought processes
during his deployment but the military refused to let him stop taking it Romeacuteo Dallaire the
human rights activist retired lieutenant-general and former senator who speaks openly
about his struggles with post-traumatic stress syndrome told the Commons veterans affairs
19
committee this week that mefloquine interferes with the ability to make quick decisions in
military theatres hellip Soldiers who were given mefloquine in Somalia in the early 1990s as
part of a poorly administered ndash and possibly illegal ndash clinical trial run by the Department of
National Defence have told the veterans affairs committee that the medication caused
lasting brain damage hellip Health Canada began in December to review available information
about any causal link between the use of mefloquine and persistent neurological or
psychiatric adverse events their frequency and severity and whether any particular segment
of the population is at increased risk The Globe and Mail
US CDC wants better data to manage global
communicable diseases
6 March - To better understand how diseases travel with international airline passengers
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is seeking advanced global aviation
intelligence data and analytical tools to enhance the agencyrsquos ability to analyze global
aviation patterns In a request for proposals posted Feb 16 the CDC said it needs more
advanced data and tools because air travel has become an increasingly common conduit for
the spread of disease ldquoThe need is immediate and ongoing for a single secure and web-
based global aviation database and analytical application to support analysis of aviation
global capacity and domestic and international passenger traffic (historical and future)rdquo the
RFP said GCN
US EPA chief unconvinced on CO2 link to global
warming
9 March - The new head of the Environmental Protection Agency said on Thursday he is not
convinced that carbon dioxide from human activity is the main driver of climate change and
said he wants Congress to weigh in on whether CO2 is a harmful pollutant that should be
regulated In an interview with CNBC EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt said the Trump
administration will make an announcement on fuel efficiency standards for cars very soon
stressing that he and President Donald Trump believe current standards were rushed
through Pruitt 48 is a climate change denier who sued the agency he now leads more than
a dozen times as Oklahomas attorney general He said he was not convinced that carbon
dioxide pollution from burning fossil fuels like oil gas and coal is the main cause of climate
change a conclusion widely embraced by scientists Reuters
US EPA environmental justice leader resigns amid
White House plans to dismantle program
9 March - A key environmental justice leader at the Environmental Protection Agency has
resigned saying that a recent budget proposal to defund such work would harm the people
who most rely on the EPA Mustafa Ali a senior advisor and assistant associate
administrator for environmental justice has served more than two decades at the agency
working to ease the burden of air and water pollution in hundreds of poor minority
20
communities nationwide He helped found the EPArsquos environmental justice office during the
early 1990s and became a key adviser to agency administrators under Republican and
Democratic presidents hellip [T]he White House is seeking to close the agencyrsquos Office of
Environmental Justice hellip [T]he new administration hellip ldquoassumes any future EJ specific policy
work can be transferred to the Office of Policyrdquo The Washington Post
US FDA has encouraged development but needs to
clarify the role of draft guidance and develop qualified
infectious disease product guidance
January 2017 - Antibiotics have long played a key role in treating infections but this role is
threatened by growing resistance to existing antibiotics and the decline in the development
of new drugs hellip The [Generating Antibiotic Incentives Now (GAIN)] provisions created the
[qualified infectious disease products (QIDP)] designation and its associated incentives to
encourage the development of new drugs to treat serious or life-threatening infections
While it is too soon to tell if GAIN has stimulated the development of new drugs GAO was
asked to provide information on FDArsquos efforts to implement GAIN hellip GAO recommends that
FDA clarify the role of draft guidance for and develop written guidance on the QIDP
designation to help drug sponsors better understand the designation and its associated
incentives HHS said it would consider GAOrsquos first recommendation and agreed with the
second GAO believes the first recommendation should also be adopted GAO
US Forbidding forecast for Lyme disease in the
northeast
6 March - hellip [Rick] Keesing and [Felicia] Ostfeld who have
studied Lyme for more than 20 years have come up with an
early warning system for the disease They can predict how
many cases there will be a year in advance by looking at one
key measurement Count the mice the year before The
number of critters scampering around the forest in the
summer correlates to the Lyme cases the following summer theyve reported The
explanation is simple Mice are highly efficient transmitters of Lyme They infect up to 95
percent of ticks that feed on them Mice are responsible for infecting the majority of ticks
carrying Lyme in the Northeast And ticks love mice An individual mouse might have 50
60 even 100 ticks covering its ears and face Ostfeld says So that mouse plague last year
means there is going to be a Lyme plague this year NPR
US Obamacare repeal guts crucial public health funds
8 March - The latest Republican health-care bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act would
eliminate funds for fundamental public health programs including for the prevention of
bioterrorism and disease outbreaks as well as money to provide immunizations and heart-
disease screenings As part of the ACA or Obamacare the Prevention and Public Health
21
Fund provides almost $1 billion annually to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Since 2010 the fund has been an increasingly important source of money for core CDC
programs today accounting for about 12 percent of the CDCrsquos total budget The GOP bill
would eliminate the Prevention and Public Health Fund starting in October of next year No
clear replacement has been proposed The Washington Post
US Patients demand the right to try experimental
drugs but costs can be steep 3 March - In the last three years 33 US states have passed laws aimed at helping dying
people get easier access to experimental treatments that are still in the early stages of
human testing Supporters say these patients are just looking for the right to try these
treatments Such laws sound compassionate but medical ethicists warn they pose
worrisome risks to the health and finances of vulnerable patients hellip Dr R Adams Dudley
director of UCSFs Center for Healthcare Value [says] If we take the FDA out of it how do
we protect people from physicians or drug companies that will want to sell them things and
will want to prey on their desperation hellip Patients could spend huge amounts of money
trying a drug that hasnt been proved to work he says And the patient may also be giving
up their hopes for a controlled peaceful death at home NPR
US Ten million lives saved by 1962 breakthrough study
says 3 March - Nearly 200 million cases of polio measles mumps rubella varicella adenovirus
rabies and hepatitis Amdashand approximately 450000 deaths from these diseasesmdashwere
prevented in the US alone between 1963 and 2015 by vaccination researchers estimate
In 1963 vaccination against these infections became widespread thanks to the
development of a human cell strain that allowed vaccines to be produced safely Globally
the vaccines developed from this strain and its derivatives prevented an estimated 45
billion cases of disease and saved more than 10 million lives Author S Jay Olshansky
professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of Illinois at Chicago School of
Public Health hellip used previously-published data on cases and deaths for each disease in the
US in 1960 before vaccines were available for these diseases Medical Xpress
US US skin disease burden expected to increase 3 March - More than one-fourth of Americans (27) were seen by a physician for skin
disease in 2013 and they averaged 16 skin diseases each researchers found Skin disease
costs at least $75 billion to treat in a single year and is an especially big problem in the 65-
and-older population which tends to get more skin diseases due to lifelong cumulative sun
exposure and increasing susceptibility to bacterial viral and fungal diseases With the
projected increase in the age group 65 years and older in the US population combined
with the increased costs of currently in-use and newly developed dermatologic treatment
options the economic burden of skin disease will continue to grow the investigators
wrote MedPage Today
top of page
22
USPACOM
India India abortion - police find 19 female foetuses
6 March - Police in the western Indian state of Maharashtra have found 19 aborted female
foetuses near a hospital Senior police officials in Sangli district said the remains were
buried with the intention of disposing them The police told the BBC that they found the
foetuses while they were investigating the death of a woman who had undergone an illegal
abortion Activists say the incident proves yet again that female foeticide is rampant in India
despite awareness campaigns The police said that the woman had died in a botched
abortion and they were looking for the foetus near a local hospital when they made the
grisly discovery It appears to be an abortion racket We have arrested the husband of the
woman and have launched a manhunt for the doctor who has gone missing Dattatray
Shinde superintendent of police told the BBC BBC News
India Missing the signals - Indiarsquos anti-vaccination social
media campaign
7 March - India recently launched a one-month campaign to vaccinate over 35 million
9-month to 15-year old children with a measles-rubella vaccine across five states The
campaign marked the start of a two-year initiative aiming to vaccinate over 400 million
children across India ndash part of a larger global effort to eliminate measles and rubella By the
end of the first month of the campaign it became clear that it was struggling to meet its
goal A different kind of campaign was circulating on WhatsApp and Facebook ndash fuelling a
mix of conspiracy theories safety concerns and questioning around why the vaccine and
the campaign were needed Whatrsquos more the rumours were taking hold in the wealthier
southern states with generally the best education and health indicators in the country
The Vaccine Confidence Project
Myanmar Tuberculosis kills 14 in Myanmarrsquos remote
north
9 March - At least 14 people have died from pulmonary tuberculosis in a remote and
impoverished region in Myanmarrsquos north this year according to officials Thursday The
illness characterized by a persistent cough has hit two villages in Lahe Township of the
mountainous Naga region located around 1300 kilometers (800 miles) from Myanmarrsquos
largest city Yangon Maung Kal a lawmaker representing the area told Anadolu Agency on
Thursday that 14 middle-aged people -- including six women -- have succumbed to the
disease over the past two months hellip According to World Health Organization (WHO)
estimates more than 150000 people suffer from tuberculosis in Myanmar which is
currently included in a list of 30 countries recognized as high-burden with the infectious
respiratory disease Anadolu Agency
top of page
23
USSOUTHCOM
Brazil WHO expands vaccination advice as yellow fever
covers southeast Brazil state
7 March - The entire Brazilian state of Espirito Santo is now considered at risk for yellow
fever transmission the World Health Organization says raising concerns the deadly virus
could spread to the nations biggest cities An ongoing yellow fever outbreak has so far
been limited to rural areas hellip [b]ut there are growing concerns the virus could spread to
urban centers like Rio de Janeiro Sao Paulo Belo Horizonte and Vitoria - areas where tens
of millions live Reuters
Ecuador Leads desperate artisans
Spring 2017 - hellip Lead has been used in ceramic glazes for thousands of years for its
beautiful and strong finishmdashbut more importantlymdashbecause it enables the glaze to melt at
a lower temperature facilitating the use of backyard low-fire kilns In La Victoria to get the
lead for these glazes artisans turned to the lead plates from car batteries manually
removing them and melting them down in their kilns This process aerosolized the lead
enabling it to be inhaled by people and distributed across the environment widely
contaminating soil foods objects and homes hellip [Edgar] Neto tells me that environmental
health inspections should be done in La Victoria every three months but there are no police
to enforce the environmental laws Although no one in La Victoria tells stories of fines levied
for crimes against the environment the social structure within the political and artisan
associations here is strong and much of the lead use among artisans has changed hellip While
excessive exposure and acute lead toxicity may have abated leadrsquos potential for health
problems continuesmdashin the form of chronic exposure Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health
top of page
24
US Military | Global | Influenza | VeterinaryFood Safety | Wellness | Contact Us
USAFRICOM | USCENTCOM | USEUCOM | USNORTHCOM | USPACOM | USSOUTHCOM
The Army Public Health Weekly Update does not analyze the information as to its strategic or tactical impact on the US Army and is not a medical
intelligence product Medical intelligence is available from the National Center for Medical Intelligence
External Links The appearance of external hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the US Army of this Web site or the information products
or services contained therein For other than authorized activities such as military exchanges and MWR sites the US Army does not exercise any
editorial control over the information you may find at these locations Such links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of this product
Although we avoid links to sites that may be blocked all sites may not be accessible from all locations While we verify the links at the time of
publication we cannot guarantee that they will be active in the future
Articles appearing in the Update do not necessarily represent US Army Medical Command opinionsviews policy or guidance and should not be
construed or interpreted as being endorsed by the US Army Medical Command
The Army Public Health Weekly Update is published by the Public Health Information Directorate Army Public Health Center
13
bias in our culture may be shifting NPR
Poor diet tied to nearly half of US deaths from heart
disease stroke diabetes
7 March - Ensuring that diets include the right amount of certain foods may help the US
cut deaths from heart disease stroke and type 2 diabetes by almost half suggests a new
study About 45 percent of deaths from those causes in 2012 could be blamed on people
eating too much or too little of 10 types of foods researchers found hellip [Renata] Micha and
colleagues identified 10 dietary components closely tied to heart disease stroke and type 2
diabetes sodium fruits vegetables whole grains nuts and seeds unprocessed red meats
processed meats polyunsaturated fats like soybean or corn oils seafood omega-3 fats and
sugar-sweetened beverages Based on participants food diaries the researchers estimated
that 318656 of the 702308 deaths from heart disease stroke or type 2 diabetes were tied
to people getting too much or too little of those 10 foods or dietary factors Reuters
Significant differences among occupational groups found
in short sleep duration
7 March - According to a new study published in the CDCrsquos Morbidity and Mortality Weekly
Report there are big differences in the amount of sleep people get depending on their
occupation ldquoWe found that overall prevalence of short sleep duration was 365 percent
among the working adults who responded to the survey ndash but sleep duration varied widely
by occupationrdquo said study author Taylor Shockey MPH of CDCrsquos National Institute for
Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) ldquoWorkers in occupations where alternative
shiftwork is common such as production health care and some transportation jobs were
more likely to have a higher adjusted prevalence of short sleep duration Workers in other
occupation groups such as teachers farmers or pilots were the most likely to report
getting enough sleeprdquo Among the 22 major occupational groups that were researched the
prevalence of short sleep duration ranged from 429 percent for production workers to 313
percent among workers in the farming fishing and forestry occupation group as well as the
education training and library occupation group Other groups that were found to have a
high percentage of short sleep durations include health care support health care
practitioners and technical food preparation and serving-related and protective service
Occupational Health amp Safety
The grateful life may be a longer one
7 March - Can a positive attitude save your life Therersquos not conclusive evidence but hints
are tantalizing enough that researchers hellip are trying to find out ldquoA lot of the long-term
research says if yoursquore an optimist yoursquore more likely to have better healthrdquo says Jeff
Huffman ldquoLetrsquos say yoursquore not an optimist mdash can we turn you into one Can we promote
that and teach that in a durable way [And] will it really work [to improve health] Itrsquos a big
and open questionrdquo The Cardiac Psychiatry Research Program combines exercises designed
to promote positive psychology in cardiac and diabetes patients with techniques known to
14
change behavior such as goal-setting to encourage patients to adhere to medication
regimens improve their diets and become more active The best chance for a positive
outlook to affect health is by promoting exercise Huffman says Harvard Gazette
Warm-ups cool-downs what works what doesnrsquot
8 March - hellip [S]cientists hellip decided to systematically
examine the effects of some of the worldrsquos best-known
warm-up programs the FIFA 11 and its recent update the
FIFA 11+ hellip [T]he original FIFA 11 warm-up is light and
quick lasting about 10 minutes and involving various
kinds of jumping shuffling and balancing exercises The
updated FIFA 11+ is more intense requiring repeated sprints and exercises such as squats
leg lifts and vertical leaps hellip [T]he new study systematically pooled data from the best
earlier studies Those boys girls men and women who regularly completed the FIFA 11+
warm-up before training or games were about 40 percent less likely to sustain knee ankle
hamstring and hip or groin injuries during the season than athletes who warmed up in
other ways Interestingly the easier FIFA 11 warm-up did not substantially reduce the
incidence of subsequent injuries The New York Times
top of page
USAFRICOM
Somalia says 110 dead in last 48 hours due to drought
4 March - Some 110 people have died in southern Somalia in the last two days from famine
and diarrhea resulting from a drought the prime minister said on Saturday as the area
braces itself for widespread shortages of food In February United Nations childrens agency
UNICEF said the drought in Somalia could lead to up to 270000 children suffering from
severe acute malnutrition this year It is a difficult situation for the pastoralists and their
livestock Some people have been hit by famine and diarrhea at the same time In the last
48 hours 110 people died due to famine and diarrhea in Bay region Prime Minister Hassan
Ali Khaires office said in a statement Reuters
South Sudan South Sudan will now charge $10000 for
an aid worker permit Why
7 March - Late last month famine was declared in two counties of the civil-war torn East
African country of South Sudan With 100000 people at risk for dying of starvation in that
area alone and millions more on the brink of crisis-level food shortages throughout the
country South Sudanese President Salva Kiir promised unimpeded access to humanitarian
aid organizations working there A few days later the South Sudanese government hiked the
15
fee for work permits for foreign aid workers from $100 to $10000 Its unclear whether the
fee would apply only to newcomers or to those already there as well Whatever the case the
amount is absolutely unheard of globally said Julien Schopp director for Humanitarian
Practice at InterAction an alliance of 180 nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) working
around the world No organization can afford this and if NGOs go to their institutional
donors to request that extra money Im pretty sure that [the donors] will be reluctant to pay
this because they will see this to some extent as ransom NPR
top of page
USCENTCOM
Afghanistan Afghan fighting pressures hospitals clinics
- childrens rights group
6 March - Hospitals and clinics in Afghanistan have increasingly been targeted by armed
groups over the past two years weakening an already degraded health system a childrens
rights group said in a report issued on Monday Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict
said attacks had further restricted or even blocked medical care in a country where almost a
third of the population of more than 30 million lacks access to basic health services Armed
groups had forced temporary or permanent closure of medical facilities damaged or
destroyed medical facilities looted medical supplies stolen ambulances threatened
intimidated extorted or detained medical personnel and occupied medical facilities for
military purposes it said The report hellip said there were 119 conflict-related incidents
targeting medical facilities and personnel last year quoting a figure from the United
Nations Mission in Afghanistan Reuters
Afghanistan ISIS militants disguised as doctors kill 38 in
Kabul hospital attack
8 March - Islamic State has claimed responsibility for an attack on a Kabul military hospital
by gunmen disguised as doctors who breached the facility and battled security forces for
hours More than 30 people died and dozens more were injured the Afghan defence
ministry said The attack began with a suicide bombing at the rear of the hospital complex
in the Afghan capital Officials said at least three gunmen dressed as medical staff then
entered the 400-bed Sardar Mohammad Daud Khan facility and took up positions on the
upper floors A second explosion was heard as Afghan special forces engaged the gunmen
and ldquoheavy fightingrdquo ensued a defence ministry spokesman said The Guardian
Iraq ISIS allegedly used chemical weapons in Mosul
battle injuring civilians
6 March - ISIS militants used chemical weapons during the battle for the city of Mosul last
16
week injuring a number of civilians according to a senior Iraqi security official The officials
assessment comes after the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) issued a
statement last week saying that their workers had treated patients from Mosul who were
suffering from symptoms consistent with exposure to a toxic chemical agent Over a
number of days last week the ICRC said it treated 15 such patients hellip It was certainly [the
result of] a toxic chemical agent because their symptoms were absolutely clear People had
blisters they vomited They had irritation in the eyes and coughed she added The World
Health Organization said in a statement that hellip the use of chemical weapons is a war
crime Both the WHO and ICRC said that the patients symptoms were consistent with
exposure to a blistering agent NBC News
Syria Syrian children suffer staggering levels of trauma
and distress ndash report
6 March - A Save the Children study says Syriarsquos mental
health crisis has reached a tipping point and that severe
distress among children could cause life-long damage
The report says 58 million of children in Syria are in need
of aid Children in Syria are suffering from ldquotoxic stressrdquo a
severe form of psychological trauma that can cause life-
long damage according to a study that charts a rise in self-harm and suicide attempts
among children as young as 12 hellip More than 70 of children interviewed experienced
common symptoms of ldquotoxic stressrdquo or post-traumatic stress disorder such as bedwetting
the study found Loss of speech aggression and substance abuse are also commonplace
About 48 of adults reported seeing children who have lost the ability to speak or who
have developed speech impediments since the war began hellip The majority of children
interviewed showed signs of ldquosevere emotional stressrdquo and 78 of them felt grief and
extreme sadness some of the time The Guardian
top of page
USEUCOM
EuropeUS Mutual Recognition promises new
framework for pharmaceutical inspections for United
States and European Union
2 March - The United States and the European Union (EU) completed an exchange of letters
to amend the Pharmaceutical Annex to the 1998 US-EU Mutual Recognition Agreement
Under this agreement US and EU regulators will be able to utilize each otherrsquos good
manufacturing practice inspections of pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities The
17
amended agreement represents the culmination of nearly three years of US Food and Drug
Administration and EU cooperation as part of the Mutual Reliance Initiative and will allow
the FDA and EU drug inspectors to rely upon information from drug inspections conducted
within each otherrsquos borders Ultimately this will enable the FDA and EU to avoid the
duplication of drug inspections lower inspection costs and enable regulators to devote
more resources to other parts of the world where there may be greater risk FDA
Israel marijuana Users to face fine rather than criminal
charge
5 March - The Israeli government has taken steps to reduce the penalties for personal
marijuana use It backed plans to issue fines initially and only resort to criminal charges for
repeat offenders Selling buying and producing the drug will remain illegal and the move
must still be ratified by parliament According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime almost
9 of Israelis use cannabis though some experts believe the figure to be higher The move
follows recommendations by a committee set up to study the issue and moves by a
number of US states and European nations to decriminalise use of the drug BBC News
Romania Measles outbreak in Romania - ECDC assesses
the risk of spread to and sustained transmission in
EUEEA countries
7 March - An outbreak of measles is ongoing in Romania From the end of September 2016
to 17 February 2017 the Romanian National Institute of Public Health received reports of
3071 cases of measles Cases continue to be reported despite ongoing response measures
at national level through reinforced vaccination activities hellip Considering the size and
geographical spread of the ongoing measles outbreak in Romania the likelihood of
exportation of measles cases is high Between 1 February 2016 and 31 January 2017 ECDC
received reports of 4484 cases of measles from 30 EUEEA countries hellip Given that the
vaccination coverage target [of 95] is still to be reached in a number of EUEEA countries
the risk of spread and sustained transmission from areas where measles transmission is
occurring in areas with susceptible populations is high Eurosurveillance
Romania Romanias healthcare exodus
9 March - hellip Romania has bled out tens of thousands of doctors nurses dentists and
pharmacists since joining the European Union a decade ago lured abroad by what the
country lacks significantly higher pay modern infrastructure and functional healthcare
systems France Germany and Britain are among the most popular destinations The
consequences are dire Romania is one of the EU states with the fewest doctors Nearly a
third of hospital positions are vacant and the health ministry estimates one in four
Romanians has insufficient access to essential healthcare hellip This despite the fact that
Romania is a leading EU state when it comes to the number of medical graduates Reuters
18
Switzerland Measles outbreaks continue to plague
Switzerland
28 February - Switzerland is on track to see the most cases of measles in years in 2017
Vaccinations are on the rise but the government recently admitted its eradication strategy
has failed In 1987 the Federal Health Office announced a vaccination strategy that it hoped
would eradicate measles by the year 2000 Seventeen years after that deadline the
vaccination rate lies at 87 below the 95 that the World Health Organization deems a
target for eradication Daniel Koch head of the infectious disease unit at the Federal Health
Office told swissinfoch that ldquothe number of people who are vaccinated has been
consistently rising but wersquore not yet where we want to berdquo Over the past several decades
Switzerland has had significant outbreaks roughly every four years In a long-term outbreak
between 2006 and 2009 Switzerland reached the highest measles rate in Europe with 4371
registered cases SWI
United Kingdom Nestleacute to remove 10 of sugar from all
snacks in UK and Ireland by 2018
7 March - Nestleacute one of the worldrsquos biggest chocolate manufacturers will take 10 of the
sugar out of its confectionery in the UK and Ireland by 2018 The corporation says the cut is
from the levels existing in its sugary products in 2015 and will amount to about 7500
tonnes The announcement follows public concern over the quantity of sugar in the
countryrsquos diet and its contribution to rising obesity levels The threat of a sugar levy on soft
drinks has encouraged the reformulation of Irn Bru and Lucozade which will escape the tax
although there have been no such moves by PepsiCo or Coca-Cola hellip Nestleacute says it will not
use artificial sweeteners in its confectionery Instead it plans to replace sugar with higher
quantities of existing ingredients or other non-artificial ingredients and ensuring products
are below a certain amount of calories The Guardian
top of page
USNORTHCOM
Canada Dallaire testifies mefloquine drug impaired
thought process in Rwanda
7 March - The Canadian army officer who led the UN peacekeeping mission during the
Rwandan genocide says the antimalarial drug mefloquine affected his thought processes
during his deployment but the military refused to let him stop taking it Romeacuteo Dallaire the
human rights activist retired lieutenant-general and former senator who speaks openly
about his struggles with post-traumatic stress syndrome told the Commons veterans affairs
19
committee this week that mefloquine interferes with the ability to make quick decisions in
military theatres hellip Soldiers who were given mefloquine in Somalia in the early 1990s as
part of a poorly administered ndash and possibly illegal ndash clinical trial run by the Department of
National Defence have told the veterans affairs committee that the medication caused
lasting brain damage hellip Health Canada began in December to review available information
about any causal link between the use of mefloquine and persistent neurological or
psychiatric adverse events their frequency and severity and whether any particular segment
of the population is at increased risk The Globe and Mail
US CDC wants better data to manage global
communicable diseases
6 March - To better understand how diseases travel with international airline passengers
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is seeking advanced global aviation
intelligence data and analytical tools to enhance the agencyrsquos ability to analyze global
aviation patterns In a request for proposals posted Feb 16 the CDC said it needs more
advanced data and tools because air travel has become an increasingly common conduit for
the spread of disease ldquoThe need is immediate and ongoing for a single secure and web-
based global aviation database and analytical application to support analysis of aviation
global capacity and domestic and international passenger traffic (historical and future)rdquo the
RFP said GCN
US EPA chief unconvinced on CO2 link to global
warming
9 March - The new head of the Environmental Protection Agency said on Thursday he is not
convinced that carbon dioxide from human activity is the main driver of climate change and
said he wants Congress to weigh in on whether CO2 is a harmful pollutant that should be
regulated In an interview with CNBC EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt said the Trump
administration will make an announcement on fuel efficiency standards for cars very soon
stressing that he and President Donald Trump believe current standards were rushed
through Pruitt 48 is a climate change denier who sued the agency he now leads more than
a dozen times as Oklahomas attorney general He said he was not convinced that carbon
dioxide pollution from burning fossil fuels like oil gas and coal is the main cause of climate
change a conclusion widely embraced by scientists Reuters
US EPA environmental justice leader resigns amid
White House plans to dismantle program
9 March - A key environmental justice leader at the Environmental Protection Agency has
resigned saying that a recent budget proposal to defund such work would harm the people
who most rely on the EPA Mustafa Ali a senior advisor and assistant associate
administrator for environmental justice has served more than two decades at the agency
working to ease the burden of air and water pollution in hundreds of poor minority
20
communities nationwide He helped found the EPArsquos environmental justice office during the
early 1990s and became a key adviser to agency administrators under Republican and
Democratic presidents hellip [T]he White House is seeking to close the agencyrsquos Office of
Environmental Justice hellip [T]he new administration hellip ldquoassumes any future EJ specific policy
work can be transferred to the Office of Policyrdquo The Washington Post
US FDA has encouraged development but needs to
clarify the role of draft guidance and develop qualified
infectious disease product guidance
January 2017 - Antibiotics have long played a key role in treating infections but this role is
threatened by growing resistance to existing antibiotics and the decline in the development
of new drugs hellip The [Generating Antibiotic Incentives Now (GAIN)] provisions created the
[qualified infectious disease products (QIDP)] designation and its associated incentives to
encourage the development of new drugs to treat serious or life-threatening infections
While it is too soon to tell if GAIN has stimulated the development of new drugs GAO was
asked to provide information on FDArsquos efforts to implement GAIN hellip GAO recommends that
FDA clarify the role of draft guidance for and develop written guidance on the QIDP
designation to help drug sponsors better understand the designation and its associated
incentives HHS said it would consider GAOrsquos first recommendation and agreed with the
second GAO believes the first recommendation should also be adopted GAO
US Forbidding forecast for Lyme disease in the
northeast
6 March - hellip [Rick] Keesing and [Felicia] Ostfeld who have
studied Lyme for more than 20 years have come up with an
early warning system for the disease They can predict how
many cases there will be a year in advance by looking at one
key measurement Count the mice the year before The
number of critters scampering around the forest in the
summer correlates to the Lyme cases the following summer theyve reported The
explanation is simple Mice are highly efficient transmitters of Lyme They infect up to 95
percent of ticks that feed on them Mice are responsible for infecting the majority of ticks
carrying Lyme in the Northeast And ticks love mice An individual mouse might have 50
60 even 100 ticks covering its ears and face Ostfeld says So that mouse plague last year
means there is going to be a Lyme plague this year NPR
US Obamacare repeal guts crucial public health funds
8 March - The latest Republican health-care bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act would
eliminate funds for fundamental public health programs including for the prevention of
bioterrorism and disease outbreaks as well as money to provide immunizations and heart-
disease screenings As part of the ACA or Obamacare the Prevention and Public Health
21
Fund provides almost $1 billion annually to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Since 2010 the fund has been an increasingly important source of money for core CDC
programs today accounting for about 12 percent of the CDCrsquos total budget The GOP bill
would eliminate the Prevention and Public Health Fund starting in October of next year No
clear replacement has been proposed The Washington Post
US Patients demand the right to try experimental
drugs but costs can be steep 3 March - In the last three years 33 US states have passed laws aimed at helping dying
people get easier access to experimental treatments that are still in the early stages of
human testing Supporters say these patients are just looking for the right to try these
treatments Such laws sound compassionate but medical ethicists warn they pose
worrisome risks to the health and finances of vulnerable patients hellip Dr R Adams Dudley
director of UCSFs Center for Healthcare Value [says] If we take the FDA out of it how do
we protect people from physicians or drug companies that will want to sell them things and
will want to prey on their desperation hellip Patients could spend huge amounts of money
trying a drug that hasnt been proved to work he says And the patient may also be giving
up their hopes for a controlled peaceful death at home NPR
US Ten million lives saved by 1962 breakthrough study
says 3 March - Nearly 200 million cases of polio measles mumps rubella varicella adenovirus
rabies and hepatitis Amdashand approximately 450000 deaths from these diseasesmdashwere
prevented in the US alone between 1963 and 2015 by vaccination researchers estimate
In 1963 vaccination against these infections became widespread thanks to the
development of a human cell strain that allowed vaccines to be produced safely Globally
the vaccines developed from this strain and its derivatives prevented an estimated 45
billion cases of disease and saved more than 10 million lives Author S Jay Olshansky
professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of Illinois at Chicago School of
Public Health hellip used previously-published data on cases and deaths for each disease in the
US in 1960 before vaccines were available for these diseases Medical Xpress
US US skin disease burden expected to increase 3 March - More than one-fourth of Americans (27) were seen by a physician for skin
disease in 2013 and they averaged 16 skin diseases each researchers found Skin disease
costs at least $75 billion to treat in a single year and is an especially big problem in the 65-
and-older population which tends to get more skin diseases due to lifelong cumulative sun
exposure and increasing susceptibility to bacterial viral and fungal diseases With the
projected increase in the age group 65 years and older in the US population combined
with the increased costs of currently in-use and newly developed dermatologic treatment
options the economic burden of skin disease will continue to grow the investigators
wrote MedPage Today
top of page
22
USPACOM
India India abortion - police find 19 female foetuses
6 March - Police in the western Indian state of Maharashtra have found 19 aborted female
foetuses near a hospital Senior police officials in Sangli district said the remains were
buried with the intention of disposing them The police told the BBC that they found the
foetuses while they were investigating the death of a woman who had undergone an illegal
abortion Activists say the incident proves yet again that female foeticide is rampant in India
despite awareness campaigns The police said that the woman had died in a botched
abortion and they were looking for the foetus near a local hospital when they made the
grisly discovery It appears to be an abortion racket We have arrested the husband of the
woman and have launched a manhunt for the doctor who has gone missing Dattatray
Shinde superintendent of police told the BBC BBC News
India Missing the signals - Indiarsquos anti-vaccination social
media campaign
7 March - India recently launched a one-month campaign to vaccinate over 35 million
9-month to 15-year old children with a measles-rubella vaccine across five states The
campaign marked the start of a two-year initiative aiming to vaccinate over 400 million
children across India ndash part of a larger global effort to eliminate measles and rubella By the
end of the first month of the campaign it became clear that it was struggling to meet its
goal A different kind of campaign was circulating on WhatsApp and Facebook ndash fuelling a
mix of conspiracy theories safety concerns and questioning around why the vaccine and
the campaign were needed Whatrsquos more the rumours were taking hold in the wealthier
southern states with generally the best education and health indicators in the country
The Vaccine Confidence Project
Myanmar Tuberculosis kills 14 in Myanmarrsquos remote
north
9 March - At least 14 people have died from pulmonary tuberculosis in a remote and
impoverished region in Myanmarrsquos north this year according to officials Thursday The
illness characterized by a persistent cough has hit two villages in Lahe Township of the
mountainous Naga region located around 1300 kilometers (800 miles) from Myanmarrsquos
largest city Yangon Maung Kal a lawmaker representing the area told Anadolu Agency on
Thursday that 14 middle-aged people -- including six women -- have succumbed to the
disease over the past two months hellip According to World Health Organization (WHO)
estimates more than 150000 people suffer from tuberculosis in Myanmar which is
currently included in a list of 30 countries recognized as high-burden with the infectious
respiratory disease Anadolu Agency
top of page
23
USSOUTHCOM
Brazil WHO expands vaccination advice as yellow fever
covers southeast Brazil state
7 March - The entire Brazilian state of Espirito Santo is now considered at risk for yellow
fever transmission the World Health Organization says raising concerns the deadly virus
could spread to the nations biggest cities An ongoing yellow fever outbreak has so far
been limited to rural areas hellip [b]ut there are growing concerns the virus could spread to
urban centers like Rio de Janeiro Sao Paulo Belo Horizonte and Vitoria - areas where tens
of millions live Reuters
Ecuador Leads desperate artisans
Spring 2017 - hellip Lead has been used in ceramic glazes for thousands of years for its
beautiful and strong finishmdashbut more importantlymdashbecause it enables the glaze to melt at
a lower temperature facilitating the use of backyard low-fire kilns In La Victoria to get the
lead for these glazes artisans turned to the lead plates from car batteries manually
removing them and melting them down in their kilns This process aerosolized the lead
enabling it to be inhaled by people and distributed across the environment widely
contaminating soil foods objects and homes hellip [Edgar] Neto tells me that environmental
health inspections should be done in La Victoria every three months but there are no police
to enforce the environmental laws Although no one in La Victoria tells stories of fines levied
for crimes against the environment the social structure within the political and artisan
associations here is strong and much of the lead use among artisans has changed hellip While
excessive exposure and acute lead toxicity may have abated leadrsquos potential for health
problems continuesmdashin the form of chronic exposure Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health
top of page
24
US Military | Global | Influenza | VeterinaryFood Safety | Wellness | Contact Us
USAFRICOM | USCENTCOM | USEUCOM | USNORTHCOM | USPACOM | USSOUTHCOM
The Army Public Health Weekly Update does not analyze the information as to its strategic or tactical impact on the US Army and is not a medical
intelligence product Medical intelligence is available from the National Center for Medical Intelligence
External Links The appearance of external hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the US Army of this Web site or the information products
or services contained therein For other than authorized activities such as military exchanges and MWR sites the US Army does not exercise any
editorial control over the information you may find at these locations Such links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of this product
Although we avoid links to sites that may be blocked all sites may not be accessible from all locations While we verify the links at the time of
publication we cannot guarantee that they will be active in the future
Articles appearing in the Update do not necessarily represent US Army Medical Command opinionsviews policy or guidance and should not be
construed or interpreted as being endorsed by the US Army Medical Command
The Army Public Health Weekly Update is published by the Public Health Information Directorate Army Public Health Center
14
change behavior such as goal-setting to encourage patients to adhere to medication
regimens improve their diets and become more active The best chance for a positive
outlook to affect health is by promoting exercise Huffman says Harvard Gazette
Warm-ups cool-downs what works what doesnrsquot
8 March - hellip [S]cientists hellip decided to systematically
examine the effects of some of the worldrsquos best-known
warm-up programs the FIFA 11 and its recent update the
FIFA 11+ hellip [T]he original FIFA 11 warm-up is light and
quick lasting about 10 minutes and involving various
kinds of jumping shuffling and balancing exercises The
updated FIFA 11+ is more intense requiring repeated sprints and exercises such as squats
leg lifts and vertical leaps hellip [T]he new study systematically pooled data from the best
earlier studies Those boys girls men and women who regularly completed the FIFA 11+
warm-up before training or games were about 40 percent less likely to sustain knee ankle
hamstring and hip or groin injuries during the season than athletes who warmed up in
other ways Interestingly the easier FIFA 11 warm-up did not substantially reduce the
incidence of subsequent injuries The New York Times
top of page
USAFRICOM
Somalia says 110 dead in last 48 hours due to drought
4 March - Some 110 people have died in southern Somalia in the last two days from famine
and diarrhea resulting from a drought the prime minister said on Saturday as the area
braces itself for widespread shortages of food In February United Nations childrens agency
UNICEF said the drought in Somalia could lead to up to 270000 children suffering from
severe acute malnutrition this year It is a difficult situation for the pastoralists and their
livestock Some people have been hit by famine and diarrhea at the same time In the last
48 hours 110 people died due to famine and diarrhea in Bay region Prime Minister Hassan
Ali Khaires office said in a statement Reuters
South Sudan South Sudan will now charge $10000 for
an aid worker permit Why
7 March - Late last month famine was declared in two counties of the civil-war torn East
African country of South Sudan With 100000 people at risk for dying of starvation in that
area alone and millions more on the brink of crisis-level food shortages throughout the
country South Sudanese President Salva Kiir promised unimpeded access to humanitarian
aid organizations working there A few days later the South Sudanese government hiked the
15
fee for work permits for foreign aid workers from $100 to $10000 Its unclear whether the
fee would apply only to newcomers or to those already there as well Whatever the case the
amount is absolutely unheard of globally said Julien Schopp director for Humanitarian
Practice at InterAction an alliance of 180 nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) working
around the world No organization can afford this and if NGOs go to their institutional
donors to request that extra money Im pretty sure that [the donors] will be reluctant to pay
this because they will see this to some extent as ransom NPR
top of page
USCENTCOM
Afghanistan Afghan fighting pressures hospitals clinics
- childrens rights group
6 March - Hospitals and clinics in Afghanistan have increasingly been targeted by armed
groups over the past two years weakening an already degraded health system a childrens
rights group said in a report issued on Monday Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict
said attacks had further restricted or even blocked medical care in a country where almost a
third of the population of more than 30 million lacks access to basic health services Armed
groups had forced temporary or permanent closure of medical facilities damaged or
destroyed medical facilities looted medical supplies stolen ambulances threatened
intimidated extorted or detained medical personnel and occupied medical facilities for
military purposes it said The report hellip said there were 119 conflict-related incidents
targeting medical facilities and personnel last year quoting a figure from the United
Nations Mission in Afghanistan Reuters
Afghanistan ISIS militants disguised as doctors kill 38 in
Kabul hospital attack
8 March - Islamic State has claimed responsibility for an attack on a Kabul military hospital
by gunmen disguised as doctors who breached the facility and battled security forces for
hours More than 30 people died and dozens more were injured the Afghan defence
ministry said The attack began with a suicide bombing at the rear of the hospital complex
in the Afghan capital Officials said at least three gunmen dressed as medical staff then
entered the 400-bed Sardar Mohammad Daud Khan facility and took up positions on the
upper floors A second explosion was heard as Afghan special forces engaged the gunmen
and ldquoheavy fightingrdquo ensued a defence ministry spokesman said The Guardian
Iraq ISIS allegedly used chemical weapons in Mosul
battle injuring civilians
6 March - ISIS militants used chemical weapons during the battle for the city of Mosul last
16
week injuring a number of civilians according to a senior Iraqi security official The officials
assessment comes after the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) issued a
statement last week saying that their workers had treated patients from Mosul who were
suffering from symptoms consistent with exposure to a toxic chemical agent Over a
number of days last week the ICRC said it treated 15 such patients hellip It was certainly [the
result of] a toxic chemical agent because their symptoms were absolutely clear People had
blisters they vomited They had irritation in the eyes and coughed she added The World
Health Organization said in a statement that hellip the use of chemical weapons is a war
crime Both the WHO and ICRC said that the patients symptoms were consistent with
exposure to a blistering agent NBC News
Syria Syrian children suffer staggering levels of trauma
and distress ndash report
6 March - A Save the Children study says Syriarsquos mental
health crisis has reached a tipping point and that severe
distress among children could cause life-long damage
The report says 58 million of children in Syria are in need
of aid Children in Syria are suffering from ldquotoxic stressrdquo a
severe form of psychological trauma that can cause life-
long damage according to a study that charts a rise in self-harm and suicide attempts
among children as young as 12 hellip More than 70 of children interviewed experienced
common symptoms of ldquotoxic stressrdquo or post-traumatic stress disorder such as bedwetting
the study found Loss of speech aggression and substance abuse are also commonplace
About 48 of adults reported seeing children who have lost the ability to speak or who
have developed speech impediments since the war began hellip The majority of children
interviewed showed signs of ldquosevere emotional stressrdquo and 78 of them felt grief and
extreme sadness some of the time The Guardian
top of page
USEUCOM
EuropeUS Mutual Recognition promises new
framework for pharmaceutical inspections for United
States and European Union
2 March - The United States and the European Union (EU) completed an exchange of letters
to amend the Pharmaceutical Annex to the 1998 US-EU Mutual Recognition Agreement
Under this agreement US and EU regulators will be able to utilize each otherrsquos good
manufacturing practice inspections of pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities The
17
amended agreement represents the culmination of nearly three years of US Food and Drug
Administration and EU cooperation as part of the Mutual Reliance Initiative and will allow
the FDA and EU drug inspectors to rely upon information from drug inspections conducted
within each otherrsquos borders Ultimately this will enable the FDA and EU to avoid the
duplication of drug inspections lower inspection costs and enable regulators to devote
more resources to other parts of the world where there may be greater risk FDA
Israel marijuana Users to face fine rather than criminal
charge
5 March - The Israeli government has taken steps to reduce the penalties for personal
marijuana use It backed plans to issue fines initially and only resort to criminal charges for
repeat offenders Selling buying and producing the drug will remain illegal and the move
must still be ratified by parliament According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime almost
9 of Israelis use cannabis though some experts believe the figure to be higher The move
follows recommendations by a committee set up to study the issue and moves by a
number of US states and European nations to decriminalise use of the drug BBC News
Romania Measles outbreak in Romania - ECDC assesses
the risk of spread to and sustained transmission in
EUEEA countries
7 March - An outbreak of measles is ongoing in Romania From the end of September 2016
to 17 February 2017 the Romanian National Institute of Public Health received reports of
3071 cases of measles Cases continue to be reported despite ongoing response measures
at national level through reinforced vaccination activities hellip Considering the size and
geographical spread of the ongoing measles outbreak in Romania the likelihood of
exportation of measles cases is high Between 1 February 2016 and 31 January 2017 ECDC
received reports of 4484 cases of measles from 30 EUEEA countries hellip Given that the
vaccination coverage target [of 95] is still to be reached in a number of EUEEA countries
the risk of spread and sustained transmission from areas where measles transmission is
occurring in areas with susceptible populations is high Eurosurveillance
Romania Romanias healthcare exodus
9 March - hellip Romania has bled out tens of thousands of doctors nurses dentists and
pharmacists since joining the European Union a decade ago lured abroad by what the
country lacks significantly higher pay modern infrastructure and functional healthcare
systems France Germany and Britain are among the most popular destinations The
consequences are dire Romania is one of the EU states with the fewest doctors Nearly a
third of hospital positions are vacant and the health ministry estimates one in four
Romanians has insufficient access to essential healthcare hellip This despite the fact that
Romania is a leading EU state when it comes to the number of medical graduates Reuters
18
Switzerland Measles outbreaks continue to plague
Switzerland
28 February - Switzerland is on track to see the most cases of measles in years in 2017
Vaccinations are on the rise but the government recently admitted its eradication strategy
has failed In 1987 the Federal Health Office announced a vaccination strategy that it hoped
would eradicate measles by the year 2000 Seventeen years after that deadline the
vaccination rate lies at 87 below the 95 that the World Health Organization deems a
target for eradication Daniel Koch head of the infectious disease unit at the Federal Health
Office told swissinfoch that ldquothe number of people who are vaccinated has been
consistently rising but wersquore not yet where we want to berdquo Over the past several decades
Switzerland has had significant outbreaks roughly every four years In a long-term outbreak
between 2006 and 2009 Switzerland reached the highest measles rate in Europe with 4371
registered cases SWI
United Kingdom Nestleacute to remove 10 of sugar from all
snacks in UK and Ireland by 2018
7 March - Nestleacute one of the worldrsquos biggest chocolate manufacturers will take 10 of the
sugar out of its confectionery in the UK and Ireland by 2018 The corporation says the cut is
from the levels existing in its sugary products in 2015 and will amount to about 7500
tonnes The announcement follows public concern over the quantity of sugar in the
countryrsquos diet and its contribution to rising obesity levels The threat of a sugar levy on soft
drinks has encouraged the reformulation of Irn Bru and Lucozade which will escape the tax
although there have been no such moves by PepsiCo or Coca-Cola hellip Nestleacute says it will not
use artificial sweeteners in its confectionery Instead it plans to replace sugar with higher
quantities of existing ingredients or other non-artificial ingredients and ensuring products
are below a certain amount of calories The Guardian
top of page
USNORTHCOM
Canada Dallaire testifies mefloquine drug impaired
thought process in Rwanda
7 March - The Canadian army officer who led the UN peacekeeping mission during the
Rwandan genocide says the antimalarial drug mefloquine affected his thought processes
during his deployment but the military refused to let him stop taking it Romeacuteo Dallaire the
human rights activist retired lieutenant-general and former senator who speaks openly
about his struggles with post-traumatic stress syndrome told the Commons veterans affairs
19
committee this week that mefloquine interferes with the ability to make quick decisions in
military theatres hellip Soldiers who were given mefloquine in Somalia in the early 1990s as
part of a poorly administered ndash and possibly illegal ndash clinical trial run by the Department of
National Defence have told the veterans affairs committee that the medication caused
lasting brain damage hellip Health Canada began in December to review available information
about any causal link between the use of mefloquine and persistent neurological or
psychiatric adverse events their frequency and severity and whether any particular segment
of the population is at increased risk The Globe and Mail
US CDC wants better data to manage global
communicable diseases
6 March - To better understand how diseases travel with international airline passengers
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is seeking advanced global aviation
intelligence data and analytical tools to enhance the agencyrsquos ability to analyze global
aviation patterns In a request for proposals posted Feb 16 the CDC said it needs more
advanced data and tools because air travel has become an increasingly common conduit for
the spread of disease ldquoThe need is immediate and ongoing for a single secure and web-
based global aviation database and analytical application to support analysis of aviation
global capacity and domestic and international passenger traffic (historical and future)rdquo the
RFP said GCN
US EPA chief unconvinced on CO2 link to global
warming
9 March - The new head of the Environmental Protection Agency said on Thursday he is not
convinced that carbon dioxide from human activity is the main driver of climate change and
said he wants Congress to weigh in on whether CO2 is a harmful pollutant that should be
regulated In an interview with CNBC EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt said the Trump
administration will make an announcement on fuel efficiency standards for cars very soon
stressing that he and President Donald Trump believe current standards were rushed
through Pruitt 48 is a climate change denier who sued the agency he now leads more than
a dozen times as Oklahomas attorney general He said he was not convinced that carbon
dioxide pollution from burning fossil fuels like oil gas and coal is the main cause of climate
change a conclusion widely embraced by scientists Reuters
US EPA environmental justice leader resigns amid
White House plans to dismantle program
9 March - A key environmental justice leader at the Environmental Protection Agency has
resigned saying that a recent budget proposal to defund such work would harm the people
who most rely on the EPA Mustafa Ali a senior advisor and assistant associate
administrator for environmental justice has served more than two decades at the agency
working to ease the burden of air and water pollution in hundreds of poor minority
20
communities nationwide He helped found the EPArsquos environmental justice office during the
early 1990s and became a key adviser to agency administrators under Republican and
Democratic presidents hellip [T]he White House is seeking to close the agencyrsquos Office of
Environmental Justice hellip [T]he new administration hellip ldquoassumes any future EJ specific policy
work can be transferred to the Office of Policyrdquo The Washington Post
US FDA has encouraged development but needs to
clarify the role of draft guidance and develop qualified
infectious disease product guidance
January 2017 - Antibiotics have long played a key role in treating infections but this role is
threatened by growing resistance to existing antibiotics and the decline in the development
of new drugs hellip The [Generating Antibiotic Incentives Now (GAIN)] provisions created the
[qualified infectious disease products (QIDP)] designation and its associated incentives to
encourage the development of new drugs to treat serious or life-threatening infections
While it is too soon to tell if GAIN has stimulated the development of new drugs GAO was
asked to provide information on FDArsquos efforts to implement GAIN hellip GAO recommends that
FDA clarify the role of draft guidance for and develop written guidance on the QIDP
designation to help drug sponsors better understand the designation and its associated
incentives HHS said it would consider GAOrsquos first recommendation and agreed with the
second GAO believes the first recommendation should also be adopted GAO
US Forbidding forecast for Lyme disease in the
northeast
6 March - hellip [Rick] Keesing and [Felicia] Ostfeld who have
studied Lyme for more than 20 years have come up with an
early warning system for the disease They can predict how
many cases there will be a year in advance by looking at one
key measurement Count the mice the year before The
number of critters scampering around the forest in the
summer correlates to the Lyme cases the following summer theyve reported The
explanation is simple Mice are highly efficient transmitters of Lyme They infect up to 95
percent of ticks that feed on them Mice are responsible for infecting the majority of ticks
carrying Lyme in the Northeast And ticks love mice An individual mouse might have 50
60 even 100 ticks covering its ears and face Ostfeld says So that mouse plague last year
means there is going to be a Lyme plague this year NPR
US Obamacare repeal guts crucial public health funds
8 March - The latest Republican health-care bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act would
eliminate funds for fundamental public health programs including for the prevention of
bioterrorism and disease outbreaks as well as money to provide immunizations and heart-
disease screenings As part of the ACA or Obamacare the Prevention and Public Health
21
Fund provides almost $1 billion annually to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Since 2010 the fund has been an increasingly important source of money for core CDC
programs today accounting for about 12 percent of the CDCrsquos total budget The GOP bill
would eliminate the Prevention and Public Health Fund starting in October of next year No
clear replacement has been proposed The Washington Post
US Patients demand the right to try experimental
drugs but costs can be steep 3 March - In the last three years 33 US states have passed laws aimed at helping dying
people get easier access to experimental treatments that are still in the early stages of
human testing Supporters say these patients are just looking for the right to try these
treatments Such laws sound compassionate but medical ethicists warn they pose
worrisome risks to the health and finances of vulnerable patients hellip Dr R Adams Dudley
director of UCSFs Center for Healthcare Value [says] If we take the FDA out of it how do
we protect people from physicians or drug companies that will want to sell them things and
will want to prey on their desperation hellip Patients could spend huge amounts of money
trying a drug that hasnt been proved to work he says And the patient may also be giving
up their hopes for a controlled peaceful death at home NPR
US Ten million lives saved by 1962 breakthrough study
says 3 March - Nearly 200 million cases of polio measles mumps rubella varicella adenovirus
rabies and hepatitis Amdashand approximately 450000 deaths from these diseasesmdashwere
prevented in the US alone between 1963 and 2015 by vaccination researchers estimate
In 1963 vaccination against these infections became widespread thanks to the
development of a human cell strain that allowed vaccines to be produced safely Globally
the vaccines developed from this strain and its derivatives prevented an estimated 45
billion cases of disease and saved more than 10 million lives Author S Jay Olshansky
professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of Illinois at Chicago School of
Public Health hellip used previously-published data on cases and deaths for each disease in the
US in 1960 before vaccines were available for these diseases Medical Xpress
US US skin disease burden expected to increase 3 March - More than one-fourth of Americans (27) were seen by a physician for skin
disease in 2013 and they averaged 16 skin diseases each researchers found Skin disease
costs at least $75 billion to treat in a single year and is an especially big problem in the 65-
and-older population which tends to get more skin diseases due to lifelong cumulative sun
exposure and increasing susceptibility to bacterial viral and fungal diseases With the
projected increase in the age group 65 years and older in the US population combined
with the increased costs of currently in-use and newly developed dermatologic treatment
options the economic burden of skin disease will continue to grow the investigators
wrote MedPage Today
top of page
22
USPACOM
India India abortion - police find 19 female foetuses
6 March - Police in the western Indian state of Maharashtra have found 19 aborted female
foetuses near a hospital Senior police officials in Sangli district said the remains were
buried with the intention of disposing them The police told the BBC that they found the
foetuses while they were investigating the death of a woman who had undergone an illegal
abortion Activists say the incident proves yet again that female foeticide is rampant in India
despite awareness campaigns The police said that the woman had died in a botched
abortion and they were looking for the foetus near a local hospital when they made the
grisly discovery It appears to be an abortion racket We have arrested the husband of the
woman and have launched a manhunt for the doctor who has gone missing Dattatray
Shinde superintendent of police told the BBC BBC News
India Missing the signals - Indiarsquos anti-vaccination social
media campaign
7 March - India recently launched a one-month campaign to vaccinate over 35 million
9-month to 15-year old children with a measles-rubella vaccine across five states The
campaign marked the start of a two-year initiative aiming to vaccinate over 400 million
children across India ndash part of a larger global effort to eliminate measles and rubella By the
end of the first month of the campaign it became clear that it was struggling to meet its
goal A different kind of campaign was circulating on WhatsApp and Facebook ndash fuelling a
mix of conspiracy theories safety concerns and questioning around why the vaccine and
the campaign were needed Whatrsquos more the rumours were taking hold in the wealthier
southern states with generally the best education and health indicators in the country
The Vaccine Confidence Project
Myanmar Tuberculosis kills 14 in Myanmarrsquos remote
north
9 March - At least 14 people have died from pulmonary tuberculosis in a remote and
impoverished region in Myanmarrsquos north this year according to officials Thursday The
illness characterized by a persistent cough has hit two villages in Lahe Township of the
mountainous Naga region located around 1300 kilometers (800 miles) from Myanmarrsquos
largest city Yangon Maung Kal a lawmaker representing the area told Anadolu Agency on
Thursday that 14 middle-aged people -- including six women -- have succumbed to the
disease over the past two months hellip According to World Health Organization (WHO)
estimates more than 150000 people suffer from tuberculosis in Myanmar which is
currently included in a list of 30 countries recognized as high-burden with the infectious
respiratory disease Anadolu Agency
top of page
23
USSOUTHCOM
Brazil WHO expands vaccination advice as yellow fever
covers southeast Brazil state
7 March - The entire Brazilian state of Espirito Santo is now considered at risk for yellow
fever transmission the World Health Organization says raising concerns the deadly virus
could spread to the nations biggest cities An ongoing yellow fever outbreak has so far
been limited to rural areas hellip [b]ut there are growing concerns the virus could spread to
urban centers like Rio de Janeiro Sao Paulo Belo Horizonte and Vitoria - areas where tens
of millions live Reuters
Ecuador Leads desperate artisans
Spring 2017 - hellip Lead has been used in ceramic glazes for thousands of years for its
beautiful and strong finishmdashbut more importantlymdashbecause it enables the glaze to melt at
a lower temperature facilitating the use of backyard low-fire kilns In La Victoria to get the
lead for these glazes artisans turned to the lead plates from car batteries manually
removing them and melting them down in their kilns This process aerosolized the lead
enabling it to be inhaled by people and distributed across the environment widely
contaminating soil foods objects and homes hellip [Edgar] Neto tells me that environmental
health inspections should be done in La Victoria every three months but there are no police
to enforce the environmental laws Although no one in La Victoria tells stories of fines levied
for crimes against the environment the social structure within the political and artisan
associations here is strong and much of the lead use among artisans has changed hellip While
excessive exposure and acute lead toxicity may have abated leadrsquos potential for health
problems continuesmdashin the form of chronic exposure Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health
top of page
24
US Military | Global | Influenza | VeterinaryFood Safety | Wellness | Contact Us
USAFRICOM | USCENTCOM | USEUCOM | USNORTHCOM | USPACOM | USSOUTHCOM
The Army Public Health Weekly Update does not analyze the information as to its strategic or tactical impact on the US Army and is not a medical
intelligence product Medical intelligence is available from the National Center for Medical Intelligence
External Links The appearance of external hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the US Army of this Web site or the information products
or services contained therein For other than authorized activities such as military exchanges and MWR sites the US Army does not exercise any
editorial control over the information you may find at these locations Such links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of this product
Although we avoid links to sites that may be blocked all sites may not be accessible from all locations While we verify the links at the time of
publication we cannot guarantee that they will be active in the future
Articles appearing in the Update do not necessarily represent US Army Medical Command opinionsviews policy or guidance and should not be
construed or interpreted as being endorsed by the US Army Medical Command
The Army Public Health Weekly Update is published by the Public Health Information Directorate Army Public Health Center
15
fee for work permits for foreign aid workers from $100 to $10000 Its unclear whether the
fee would apply only to newcomers or to those already there as well Whatever the case the
amount is absolutely unheard of globally said Julien Schopp director for Humanitarian
Practice at InterAction an alliance of 180 nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) working
around the world No organization can afford this and if NGOs go to their institutional
donors to request that extra money Im pretty sure that [the donors] will be reluctant to pay
this because they will see this to some extent as ransom NPR
top of page
USCENTCOM
Afghanistan Afghan fighting pressures hospitals clinics
- childrens rights group
6 March - Hospitals and clinics in Afghanistan have increasingly been targeted by armed
groups over the past two years weakening an already degraded health system a childrens
rights group said in a report issued on Monday Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict
said attacks had further restricted or even blocked medical care in a country where almost a
third of the population of more than 30 million lacks access to basic health services Armed
groups had forced temporary or permanent closure of medical facilities damaged or
destroyed medical facilities looted medical supplies stolen ambulances threatened
intimidated extorted or detained medical personnel and occupied medical facilities for
military purposes it said The report hellip said there were 119 conflict-related incidents
targeting medical facilities and personnel last year quoting a figure from the United
Nations Mission in Afghanistan Reuters
Afghanistan ISIS militants disguised as doctors kill 38 in
Kabul hospital attack
8 March - Islamic State has claimed responsibility for an attack on a Kabul military hospital
by gunmen disguised as doctors who breached the facility and battled security forces for
hours More than 30 people died and dozens more were injured the Afghan defence
ministry said The attack began with a suicide bombing at the rear of the hospital complex
in the Afghan capital Officials said at least three gunmen dressed as medical staff then
entered the 400-bed Sardar Mohammad Daud Khan facility and took up positions on the
upper floors A second explosion was heard as Afghan special forces engaged the gunmen
and ldquoheavy fightingrdquo ensued a defence ministry spokesman said The Guardian
Iraq ISIS allegedly used chemical weapons in Mosul
battle injuring civilians
6 March - ISIS militants used chemical weapons during the battle for the city of Mosul last
16
week injuring a number of civilians according to a senior Iraqi security official The officials
assessment comes after the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) issued a
statement last week saying that their workers had treated patients from Mosul who were
suffering from symptoms consistent with exposure to a toxic chemical agent Over a
number of days last week the ICRC said it treated 15 such patients hellip It was certainly [the
result of] a toxic chemical agent because their symptoms were absolutely clear People had
blisters they vomited They had irritation in the eyes and coughed she added The World
Health Organization said in a statement that hellip the use of chemical weapons is a war
crime Both the WHO and ICRC said that the patients symptoms were consistent with
exposure to a blistering agent NBC News
Syria Syrian children suffer staggering levels of trauma
and distress ndash report
6 March - A Save the Children study says Syriarsquos mental
health crisis has reached a tipping point and that severe
distress among children could cause life-long damage
The report says 58 million of children in Syria are in need
of aid Children in Syria are suffering from ldquotoxic stressrdquo a
severe form of psychological trauma that can cause life-
long damage according to a study that charts a rise in self-harm and suicide attempts
among children as young as 12 hellip More than 70 of children interviewed experienced
common symptoms of ldquotoxic stressrdquo or post-traumatic stress disorder such as bedwetting
the study found Loss of speech aggression and substance abuse are also commonplace
About 48 of adults reported seeing children who have lost the ability to speak or who
have developed speech impediments since the war began hellip The majority of children
interviewed showed signs of ldquosevere emotional stressrdquo and 78 of them felt grief and
extreme sadness some of the time The Guardian
top of page
USEUCOM
EuropeUS Mutual Recognition promises new
framework for pharmaceutical inspections for United
States and European Union
2 March - The United States and the European Union (EU) completed an exchange of letters
to amend the Pharmaceutical Annex to the 1998 US-EU Mutual Recognition Agreement
Under this agreement US and EU regulators will be able to utilize each otherrsquos good
manufacturing practice inspections of pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities The
17
amended agreement represents the culmination of nearly three years of US Food and Drug
Administration and EU cooperation as part of the Mutual Reliance Initiative and will allow
the FDA and EU drug inspectors to rely upon information from drug inspections conducted
within each otherrsquos borders Ultimately this will enable the FDA and EU to avoid the
duplication of drug inspections lower inspection costs and enable regulators to devote
more resources to other parts of the world where there may be greater risk FDA
Israel marijuana Users to face fine rather than criminal
charge
5 March - The Israeli government has taken steps to reduce the penalties for personal
marijuana use It backed plans to issue fines initially and only resort to criminal charges for
repeat offenders Selling buying and producing the drug will remain illegal and the move
must still be ratified by parliament According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime almost
9 of Israelis use cannabis though some experts believe the figure to be higher The move
follows recommendations by a committee set up to study the issue and moves by a
number of US states and European nations to decriminalise use of the drug BBC News
Romania Measles outbreak in Romania - ECDC assesses
the risk of spread to and sustained transmission in
EUEEA countries
7 March - An outbreak of measles is ongoing in Romania From the end of September 2016
to 17 February 2017 the Romanian National Institute of Public Health received reports of
3071 cases of measles Cases continue to be reported despite ongoing response measures
at national level through reinforced vaccination activities hellip Considering the size and
geographical spread of the ongoing measles outbreak in Romania the likelihood of
exportation of measles cases is high Between 1 February 2016 and 31 January 2017 ECDC
received reports of 4484 cases of measles from 30 EUEEA countries hellip Given that the
vaccination coverage target [of 95] is still to be reached in a number of EUEEA countries
the risk of spread and sustained transmission from areas where measles transmission is
occurring in areas with susceptible populations is high Eurosurveillance
Romania Romanias healthcare exodus
9 March - hellip Romania has bled out tens of thousands of doctors nurses dentists and
pharmacists since joining the European Union a decade ago lured abroad by what the
country lacks significantly higher pay modern infrastructure and functional healthcare
systems France Germany and Britain are among the most popular destinations The
consequences are dire Romania is one of the EU states with the fewest doctors Nearly a
third of hospital positions are vacant and the health ministry estimates one in four
Romanians has insufficient access to essential healthcare hellip This despite the fact that
Romania is a leading EU state when it comes to the number of medical graduates Reuters
18
Switzerland Measles outbreaks continue to plague
Switzerland
28 February - Switzerland is on track to see the most cases of measles in years in 2017
Vaccinations are on the rise but the government recently admitted its eradication strategy
has failed In 1987 the Federal Health Office announced a vaccination strategy that it hoped
would eradicate measles by the year 2000 Seventeen years after that deadline the
vaccination rate lies at 87 below the 95 that the World Health Organization deems a
target for eradication Daniel Koch head of the infectious disease unit at the Federal Health
Office told swissinfoch that ldquothe number of people who are vaccinated has been
consistently rising but wersquore not yet where we want to berdquo Over the past several decades
Switzerland has had significant outbreaks roughly every four years In a long-term outbreak
between 2006 and 2009 Switzerland reached the highest measles rate in Europe with 4371
registered cases SWI
United Kingdom Nestleacute to remove 10 of sugar from all
snacks in UK and Ireland by 2018
7 March - Nestleacute one of the worldrsquos biggest chocolate manufacturers will take 10 of the
sugar out of its confectionery in the UK and Ireland by 2018 The corporation says the cut is
from the levels existing in its sugary products in 2015 and will amount to about 7500
tonnes The announcement follows public concern over the quantity of sugar in the
countryrsquos diet and its contribution to rising obesity levels The threat of a sugar levy on soft
drinks has encouraged the reformulation of Irn Bru and Lucozade which will escape the tax
although there have been no such moves by PepsiCo or Coca-Cola hellip Nestleacute says it will not
use artificial sweeteners in its confectionery Instead it plans to replace sugar with higher
quantities of existing ingredients or other non-artificial ingredients and ensuring products
are below a certain amount of calories The Guardian
top of page
USNORTHCOM
Canada Dallaire testifies mefloquine drug impaired
thought process in Rwanda
7 March - The Canadian army officer who led the UN peacekeeping mission during the
Rwandan genocide says the antimalarial drug mefloquine affected his thought processes
during his deployment but the military refused to let him stop taking it Romeacuteo Dallaire the
human rights activist retired lieutenant-general and former senator who speaks openly
about his struggles with post-traumatic stress syndrome told the Commons veterans affairs
19
committee this week that mefloquine interferes with the ability to make quick decisions in
military theatres hellip Soldiers who were given mefloquine in Somalia in the early 1990s as
part of a poorly administered ndash and possibly illegal ndash clinical trial run by the Department of
National Defence have told the veterans affairs committee that the medication caused
lasting brain damage hellip Health Canada began in December to review available information
about any causal link between the use of mefloquine and persistent neurological or
psychiatric adverse events their frequency and severity and whether any particular segment
of the population is at increased risk The Globe and Mail
US CDC wants better data to manage global
communicable diseases
6 March - To better understand how diseases travel with international airline passengers
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is seeking advanced global aviation
intelligence data and analytical tools to enhance the agencyrsquos ability to analyze global
aviation patterns In a request for proposals posted Feb 16 the CDC said it needs more
advanced data and tools because air travel has become an increasingly common conduit for
the spread of disease ldquoThe need is immediate and ongoing for a single secure and web-
based global aviation database and analytical application to support analysis of aviation
global capacity and domestic and international passenger traffic (historical and future)rdquo the
RFP said GCN
US EPA chief unconvinced on CO2 link to global
warming
9 March - The new head of the Environmental Protection Agency said on Thursday he is not
convinced that carbon dioxide from human activity is the main driver of climate change and
said he wants Congress to weigh in on whether CO2 is a harmful pollutant that should be
regulated In an interview with CNBC EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt said the Trump
administration will make an announcement on fuel efficiency standards for cars very soon
stressing that he and President Donald Trump believe current standards were rushed
through Pruitt 48 is a climate change denier who sued the agency he now leads more than
a dozen times as Oklahomas attorney general He said he was not convinced that carbon
dioxide pollution from burning fossil fuels like oil gas and coal is the main cause of climate
change a conclusion widely embraced by scientists Reuters
US EPA environmental justice leader resigns amid
White House plans to dismantle program
9 March - A key environmental justice leader at the Environmental Protection Agency has
resigned saying that a recent budget proposal to defund such work would harm the people
who most rely on the EPA Mustafa Ali a senior advisor and assistant associate
administrator for environmental justice has served more than two decades at the agency
working to ease the burden of air and water pollution in hundreds of poor minority
20
communities nationwide He helped found the EPArsquos environmental justice office during the
early 1990s and became a key adviser to agency administrators under Republican and
Democratic presidents hellip [T]he White House is seeking to close the agencyrsquos Office of
Environmental Justice hellip [T]he new administration hellip ldquoassumes any future EJ specific policy
work can be transferred to the Office of Policyrdquo The Washington Post
US FDA has encouraged development but needs to
clarify the role of draft guidance and develop qualified
infectious disease product guidance
January 2017 - Antibiotics have long played a key role in treating infections but this role is
threatened by growing resistance to existing antibiotics and the decline in the development
of new drugs hellip The [Generating Antibiotic Incentives Now (GAIN)] provisions created the
[qualified infectious disease products (QIDP)] designation and its associated incentives to
encourage the development of new drugs to treat serious or life-threatening infections
While it is too soon to tell if GAIN has stimulated the development of new drugs GAO was
asked to provide information on FDArsquos efforts to implement GAIN hellip GAO recommends that
FDA clarify the role of draft guidance for and develop written guidance on the QIDP
designation to help drug sponsors better understand the designation and its associated
incentives HHS said it would consider GAOrsquos first recommendation and agreed with the
second GAO believes the first recommendation should also be adopted GAO
US Forbidding forecast for Lyme disease in the
northeast
6 March - hellip [Rick] Keesing and [Felicia] Ostfeld who have
studied Lyme for more than 20 years have come up with an
early warning system for the disease They can predict how
many cases there will be a year in advance by looking at one
key measurement Count the mice the year before The
number of critters scampering around the forest in the
summer correlates to the Lyme cases the following summer theyve reported The
explanation is simple Mice are highly efficient transmitters of Lyme They infect up to 95
percent of ticks that feed on them Mice are responsible for infecting the majority of ticks
carrying Lyme in the Northeast And ticks love mice An individual mouse might have 50
60 even 100 ticks covering its ears and face Ostfeld says So that mouse plague last year
means there is going to be a Lyme plague this year NPR
US Obamacare repeal guts crucial public health funds
8 March - The latest Republican health-care bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act would
eliminate funds for fundamental public health programs including for the prevention of
bioterrorism and disease outbreaks as well as money to provide immunizations and heart-
disease screenings As part of the ACA or Obamacare the Prevention and Public Health
21
Fund provides almost $1 billion annually to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Since 2010 the fund has been an increasingly important source of money for core CDC
programs today accounting for about 12 percent of the CDCrsquos total budget The GOP bill
would eliminate the Prevention and Public Health Fund starting in October of next year No
clear replacement has been proposed The Washington Post
US Patients demand the right to try experimental
drugs but costs can be steep 3 March - In the last three years 33 US states have passed laws aimed at helping dying
people get easier access to experimental treatments that are still in the early stages of
human testing Supporters say these patients are just looking for the right to try these
treatments Such laws sound compassionate but medical ethicists warn they pose
worrisome risks to the health and finances of vulnerable patients hellip Dr R Adams Dudley
director of UCSFs Center for Healthcare Value [says] If we take the FDA out of it how do
we protect people from physicians or drug companies that will want to sell them things and
will want to prey on their desperation hellip Patients could spend huge amounts of money
trying a drug that hasnt been proved to work he says And the patient may also be giving
up their hopes for a controlled peaceful death at home NPR
US Ten million lives saved by 1962 breakthrough study
says 3 March - Nearly 200 million cases of polio measles mumps rubella varicella adenovirus
rabies and hepatitis Amdashand approximately 450000 deaths from these diseasesmdashwere
prevented in the US alone between 1963 and 2015 by vaccination researchers estimate
In 1963 vaccination against these infections became widespread thanks to the
development of a human cell strain that allowed vaccines to be produced safely Globally
the vaccines developed from this strain and its derivatives prevented an estimated 45
billion cases of disease and saved more than 10 million lives Author S Jay Olshansky
professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of Illinois at Chicago School of
Public Health hellip used previously-published data on cases and deaths for each disease in the
US in 1960 before vaccines were available for these diseases Medical Xpress
US US skin disease burden expected to increase 3 March - More than one-fourth of Americans (27) were seen by a physician for skin
disease in 2013 and they averaged 16 skin diseases each researchers found Skin disease
costs at least $75 billion to treat in a single year and is an especially big problem in the 65-
and-older population which tends to get more skin diseases due to lifelong cumulative sun
exposure and increasing susceptibility to bacterial viral and fungal diseases With the
projected increase in the age group 65 years and older in the US population combined
with the increased costs of currently in-use and newly developed dermatologic treatment
options the economic burden of skin disease will continue to grow the investigators
wrote MedPage Today
top of page
22
USPACOM
India India abortion - police find 19 female foetuses
6 March - Police in the western Indian state of Maharashtra have found 19 aborted female
foetuses near a hospital Senior police officials in Sangli district said the remains were
buried with the intention of disposing them The police told the BBC that they found the
foetuses while they were investigating the death of a woman who had undergone an illegal
abortion Activists say the incident proves yet again that female foeticide is rampant in India
despite awareness campaigns The police said that the woman had died in a botched
abortion and they were looking for the foetus near a local hospital when they made the
grisly discovery It appears to be an abortion racket We have arrested the husband of the
woman and have launched a manhunt for the doctor who has gone missing Dattatray
Shinde superintendent of police told the BBC BBC News
India Missing the signals - Indiarsquos anti-vaccination social
media campaign
7 March - India recently launched a one-month campaign to vaccinate over 35 million
9-month to 15-year old children with a measles-rubella vaccine across five states The
campaign marked the start of a two-year initiative aiming to vaccinate over 400 million
children across India ndash part of a larger global effort to eliminate measles and rubella By the
end of the first month of the campaign it became clear that it was struggling to meet its
goal A different kind of campaign was circulating on WhatsApp and Facebook ndash fuelling a
mix of conspiracy theories safety concerns and questioning around why the vaccine and
the campaign were needed Whatrsquos more the rumours were taking hold in the wealthier
southern states with generally the best education and health indicators in the country
The Vaccine Confidence Project
Myanmar Tuberculosis kills 14 in Myanmarrsquos remote
north
9 March - At least 14 people have died from pulmonary tuberculosis in a remote and
impoverished region in Myanmarrsquos north this year according to officials Thursday The
illness characterized by a persistent cough has hit two villages in Lahe Township of the
mountainous Naga region located around 1300 kilometers (800 miles) from Myanmarrsquos
largest city Yangon Maung Kal a lawmaker representing the area told Anadolu Agency on
Thursday that 14 middle-aged people -- including six women -- have succumbed to the
disease over the past two months hellip According to World Health Organization (WHO)
estimates more than 150000 people suffer from tuberculosis in Myanmar which is
currently included in a list of 30 countries recognized as high-burden with the infectious
respiratory disease Anadolu Agency
top of page
23
USSOUTHCOM
Brazil WHO expands vaccination advice as yellow fever
covers southeast Brazil state
7 March - The entire Brazilian state of Espirito Santo is now considered at risk for yellow
fever transmission the World Health Organization says raising concerns the deadly virus
could spread to the nations biggest cities An ongoing yellow fever outbreak has so far
been limited to rural areas hellip [b]ut there are growing concerns the virus could spread to
urban centers like Rio de Janeiro Sao Paulo Belo Horizonte and Vitoria - areas where tens
of millions live Reuters
Ecuador Leads desperate artisans
Spring 2017 - hellip Lead has been used in ceramic glazes for thousands of years for its
beautiful and strong finishmdashbut more importantlymdashbecause it enables the glaze to melt at
a lower temperature facilitating the use of backyard low-fire kilns In La Victoria to get the
lead for these glazes artisans turned to the lead plates from car batteries manually
removing them and melting them down in their kilns This process aerosolized the lead
enabling it to be inhaled by people and distributed across the environment widely
contaminating soil foods objects and homes hellip [Edgar] Neto tells me that environmental
health inspections should be done in La Victoria every three months but there are no police
to enforce the environmental laws Although no one in La Victoria tells stories of fines levied
for crimes against the environment the social structure within the political and artisan
associations here is strong and much of the lead use among artisans has changed hellip While
excessive exposure and acute lead toxicity may have abated leadrsquos potential for health
problems continuesmdashin the form of chronic exposure Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health
top of page
24
US Military | Global | Influenza | VeterinaryFood Safety | Wellness | Contact Us
USAFRICOM | USCENTCOM | USEUCOM | USNORTHCOM | USPACOM | USSOUTHCOM
The Army Public Health Weekly Update does not analyze the information as to its strategic or tactical impact on the US Army and is not a medical
intelligence product Medical intelligence is available from the National Center for Medical Intelligence
External Links The appearance of external hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the US Army of this Web site or the information products
or services contained therein For other than authorized activities such as military exchanges and MWR sites the US Army does not exercise any
editorial control over the information you may find at these locations Such links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of this product
Although we avoid links to sites that may be blocked all sites may not be accessible from all locations While we verify the links at the time of
publication we cannot guarantee that they will be active in the future
Articles appearing in the Update do not necessarily represent US Army Medical Command opinionsviews policy or guidance and should not be
construed or interpreted as being endorsed by the US Army Medical Command
The Army Public Health Weekly Update is published by the Public Health Information Directorate Army Public Health Center
16
week injuring a number of civilians according to a senior Iraqi security official The officials
assessment comes after the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) issued a
statement last week saying that their workers had treated patients from Mosul who were
suffering from symptoms consistent with exposure to a toxic chemical agent Over a
number of days last week the ICRC said it treated 15 such patients hellip It was certainly [the
result of] a toxic chemical agent because their symptoms were absolutely clear People had
blisters they vomited They had irritation in the eyes and coughed she added The World
Health Organization said in a statement that hellip the use of chemical weapons is a war
crime Both the WHO and ICRC said that the patients symptoms were consistent with
exposure to a blistering agent NBC News
Syria Syrian children suffer staggering levels of trauma
and distress ndash report
6 March - A Save the Children study says Syriarsquos mental
health crisis has reached a tipping point and that severe
distress among children could cause life-long damage
The report says 58 million of children in Syria are in need
of aid Children in Syria are suffering from ldquotoxic stressrdquo a
severe form of psychological trauma that can cause life-
long damage according to a study that charts a rise in self-harm and suicide attempts
among children as young as 12 hellip More than 70 of children interviewed experienced
common symptoms of ldquotoxic stressrdquo or post-traumatic stress disorder such as bedwetting
the study found Loss of speech aggression and substance abuse are also commonplace
About 48 of adults reported seeing children who have lost the ability to speak or who
have developed speech impediments since the war began hellip The majority of children
interviewed showed signs of ldquosevere emotional stressrdquo and 78 of them felt grief and
extreme sadness some of the time The Guardian
top of page
USEUCOM
EuropeUS Mutual Recognition promises new
framework for pharmaceutical inspections for United
States and European Union
2 March - The United States and the European Union (EU) completed an exchange of letters
to amend the Pharmaceutical Annex to the 1998 US-EU Mutual Recognition Agreement
Under this agreement US and EU regulators will be able to utilize each otherrsquos good
manufacturing practice inspections of pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities The
17
amended agreement represents the culmination of nearly three years of US Food and Drug
Administration and EU cooperation as part of the Mutual Reliance Initiative and will allow
the FDA and EU drug inspectors to rely upon information from drug inspections conducted
within each otherrsquos borders Ultimately this will enable the FDA and EU to avoid the
duplication of drug inspections lower inspection costs and enable regulators to devote
more resources to other parts of the world where there may be greater risk FDA
Israel marijuana Users to face fine rather than criminal
charge
5 March - The Israeli government has taken steps to reduce the penalties for personal
marijuana use It backed plans to issue fines initially and only resort to criminal charges for
repeat offenders Selling buying and producing the drug will remain illegal and the move
must still be ratified by parliament According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime almost
9 of Israelis use cannabis though some experts believe the figure to be higher The move
follows recommendations by a committee set up to study the issue and moves by a
number of US states and European nations to decriminalise use of the drug BBC News
Romania Measles outbreak in Romania - ECDC assesses
the risk of spread to and sustained transmission in
EUEEA countries
7 March - An outbreak of measles is ongoing in Romania From the end of September 2016
to 17 February 2017 the Romanian National Institute of Public Health received reports of
3071 cases of measles Cases continue to be reported despite ongoing response measures
at national level through reinforced vaccination activities hellip Considering the size and
geographical spread of the ongoing measles outbreak in Romania the likelihood of
exportation of measles cases is high Between 1 February 2016 and 31 January 2017 ECDC
received reports of 4484 cases of measles from 30 EUEEA countries hellip Given that the
vaccination coverage target [of 95] is still to be reached in a number of EUEEA countries
the risk of spread and sustained transmission from areas where measles transmission is
occurring in areas with susceptible populations is high Eurosurveillance
Romania Romanias healthcare exodus
9 March - hellip Romania has bled out tens of thousands of doctors nurses dentists and
pharmacists since joining the European Union a decade ago lured abroad by what the
country lacks significantly higher pay modern infrastructure and functional healthcare
systems France Germany and Britain are among the most popular destinations The
consequences are dire Romania is one of the EU states with the fewest doctors Nearly a
third of hospital positions are vacant and the health ministry estimates one in four
Romanians has insufficient access to essential healthcare hellip This despite the fact that
Romania is a leading EU state when it comes to the number of medical graduates Reuters
18
Switzerland Measles outbreaks continue to plague
Switzerland
28 February - Switzerland is on track to see the most cases of measles in years in 2017
Vaccinations are on the rise but the government recently admitted its eradication strategy
has failed In 1987 the Federal Health Office announced a vaccination strategy that it hoped
would eradicate measles by the year 2000 Seventeen years after that deadline the
vaccination rate lies at 87 below the 95 that the World Health Organization deems a
target for eradication Daniel Koch head of the infectious disease unit at the Federal Health
Office told swissinfoch that ldquothe number of people who are vaccinated has been
consistently rising but wersquore not yet where we want to berdquo Over the past several decades
Switzerland has had significant outbreaks roughly every four years In a long-term outbreak
between 2006 and 2009 Switzerland reached the highest measles rate in Europe with 4371
registered cases SWI
United Kingdom Nestleacute to remove 10 of sugar from all
snacks in UK and Ireland by 2018
7 March - Nestleacute one of the worldrsquos biggest chocolate manufacturers will take 10 of the
sugar out of its confectionery in the UK and Ireland by 2018 The corporation says the cut is
from the levels existing in its sugary products in 2015 and will amount to about 7500
tonnes The announcement follows public concern over the quantity of sugar in the
countryrsquos diet and its contribution to rising obesity levels The threat of a sugar levy on soft
drinks has encouraged the reformulation of Irn Bru and Lucozade which will escape the tax
although there have been no such moves by PepsiCo or Coca-Cola hellip Nestleacute says it will not
use artificial sweeteners in its confectionery Instead it plans to replace sugar with higher
quantities of existing ingredients or other non-artificial ingredients and ensuring products
are below a certain amount of calories The Guardian
top of page
USNORTHCOM
Canada Dallaire testifies mefloquine drug impaired
thought process in Rwanda
7 March - The Canadian army officer who led the UN peacekeeping mission during the
Rwandan genocide says the antimalarial drug mefloquine affected his thought processes
during his deployment but the military refused to let him stop taking it Romeacuteo Dallaire the
human rights activist retired lieutenant-general and former senator who speaks openly
about his struggles with post-traumatic stress syndrome told the Commons veterans affairs
19
committee this week that mefloquine interferes with the ability to make quick decisions in
military theatres hellip Soldiers who were given mefloquine in Somalia in the early 1990s as
part of a poorly administered ndash and possibly illegal ndash clinical trial run by the Department of
National Defence have told the veterans affairs committee that the medication caused
lasting brain damage hellip Health Canada began in December to review available information
about any causal link between the use of mefloquine and persistent neurological or
psychiatric adverse events their frequency and severity and whether any particular segment
of the population is at increased risk The Globe and Mail
US CDC wants better data to manage global
communicable diseases
6 March - To better understand how diseases travel with international airline passengers
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is seeking advanced global aviation
intelligence data and analytical tools to enhance the agencyrsquos ability to analyze global
aviation patterns In a request for proposals posted Feb 16 the CDC said it needs more
advanced data and tools because air travel has become an increasingly common conduit for
the spread of disease ldquoThe need is immediate and ongoing for a single secure and web-
based global aviation database and analytical application to support analysis of aviation
global capacity and domestic and international passenger traffic (historical and future)rdquo the
RFP said GCN
US EPA chief unconvinced on CO2 link to global
warming
9 March - The new head of the Environmental Protection Agency said on Thursday he is not
convinced that carbon dioxide from human activity is the main driver of climate change and
said he wants Congress to weigh in on whether CO2 is a harmful pollutant that should be
regulated In an interview with CNBC EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt said the Trump
administration will make an announcement on fuel efficiency standards for cars very soon
stressing that he and President Donald Trump believe current standards were rushed
through Pruitt 48 is a climate change denier who sued the agency he now leads more than
a dozen times as Oklahomas attorney general He said he was not convinced that carbon
dioxide pollution from burning fossil fuels like oil gas and coal is the main cause of climate
change a conclusion widely embraced by scientists Reuters
US EPA environmental justice leader resigns amid
White House plans to dismantle program
9 March - A key environmental justice leader at the Environmental Protection Agency has
resigned saying that a recent budget proposal to defund such work would harm the people
who most rely on the EPA Mustafa Ali a senior advisor and assistant associate
administrator for environmental justice has served more than two decades at the agency
working to ease the burden of air and water pollution in hundreds of poor minority
20
communities nationwide He helped found the EPArsquos environmental justice office during the
early 1990s and became a key adviser to agency administrators under Republican and
Democratic presidents hellip [T]he White House is seeking to close the agencyrsquos Office of
Environmental Justice hellip [T]he new administration hellip ldquoassumes any future EJ specific policy
work can be transferred to the Office of Policyrdquo The Washington Post
US FDA has encouraged development but needs to
clarify the role of draft guidance and develop qualified
infectious disease product guidance
January 2017 - Antibiotics have long played a key role in treating infections but this role is
threatened by growing resistance to existing antibiotics and the decline in the development
of new drugs hellip The [Generating Antibiotic Incentives Now (GAIN)] provisions created the
[qualified infectious disease products (QIDP)] designation and its associated incentives to
encourage the development of new drugs to treat serious or life-threatening infections
While it is too soon to tell if GAIN has stimulated the development of new drugs GAO was
asked to provide information on FDArsquos efforts to implement GAIN hellip GAO recommends that
FDA clarify the role of draft guidance for and develop written guidance on the QIDP
designation to help drug sponsors better understand the designation and its associated
incentives HHS said it would consider GAOrsquos first recommendation and agreed with the
second GAO believes the first recommendation should also be adopted GAO
US Forbidding forecast for Lyme disease in the
northeast
6 March - hellip [Rick] Keesing and [Felicia] Ostfeld who have
studied Lyme for more than 20 years have come up with an
early warning system for the disease They can predict how
many cases there will be a year in advance by looking at one
key measurement Count the mice the year before The
number of critters scampering around the forest in the
summer correlates to the Lyme cases the following summer theyve reported The
explanation is simple Mice are highly efficient transmitters of Lyme They infect up to 95
percent of ticks that feed on them Mice are responsible for infecting the majority of ticks
carrying Lyme in the Northeast And ticks love mice An individual mouse might have 50
60 even 100 ticks covering its ears and face Ostfeld says So that mouse plague last year
means there is going to be a Lyme plague this year NPR
US Obamacare repeal guts crucial public health funds
8 March - The latest Republican health-care bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act would
eliminate funds for fundamental public health programs including for the prevention of
bioterrorism and disease outbreaks as well as money to provide immunizations and heart-
disease screenings As part of the ACA or Obamacare the Prevention and Public Health
21
Fund provides almost $1 billion annually to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Since 2010 the fund has been an increasingly important source of money for core CDC
programs today accounting for about 12 percent of the CDCrsquos total budget The GOP bill
would eliminate the Prevention and Public Health Fund starting in October of next year No
clear replacement has been proposed The Washington Post
US Patients demand the right to try experimental
drugs but costs can be steep 3 March - In the last three years 33 US states have passed laws aimed at helping dying
people get easier access to experimental treatments that are still in the early stages of
human testing Supporters say these patients are just looking for the right to try these
treatments Such laws sound compassionate but medical ethicists warn they pose
worrisome risks to the health and finances of vulnerable patients hellip Dr R Adams Dudley
director of UCSFs Center for Healthcare Value [says] If we take the FDA out of it how do
we protect people from physicians or drug companies that will want to sell them things and
will want to prey on their desperation hellip Patients could spend huge amounts of money
trying a drug that hasnt been proved to work he says And the patient may also be giving
up their hopes for a controlled peaceful death at home NPR
US Ten million lives saved by 1962 breakthrough study
says 3 March - Nearly 200 million cases of polio measles mumps rubella varicella adenovirus
rabies and hepatitis Amdashand approximately 450000 deaths from these diseasesmdashwere
prevented in the US alone between 1963 and 2015 by vaccination researchers estimate
In 1963 vaccination against these infections became widespread thanks to the
development of a human cell strain that allowed vaccines to be produced safely Globally
the vaccines developed from this strain and its derivatives prevented an estimated 45
billion cases of disease and saved more than 10 million lives Author S Jay Olshansky
professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of Illinois at Chicago School of
Public Health hellip used previously-published data on cases and deaths for each disease in the
US in 1960 before vaccines were available for these diseases Medical Xpress
US US skin disease burden expected to increase 3 March - More than one-fourth of Americans (27) were seen by a physician for skin
disease in 2013 and they averaged 16 skin diseases each researchers found Skin disease
costs at least $75 billion to treat in a single year and is an especially big problem in the 65-
and-older population which tends to get more skin diseases due to lifelong cumulative sun
exposure and increasing susceptibility to bacterial viral and fungal diseases With the
projected increase in the age group 65 years and older in the US population combined
with the increased costs of currently in-use and newly developed dermatologic treatment
options the economic burden of skin disease will continue to grow the investigators
wrote MedPage Today
top of page
22
USPACOM
India India abortion - police find 19 female foetuses
6 March - Police in the western Indian state of Maharashtra have found 19 aborted female
foetuses near a hospital Senior police officials in Sangli district said the remains were
buried with the intention of disposing them The police told the BBC that they found the
foetuses while they were investigating the death of a woman who had undergone an illegal
abortion Activists say the incident proves yet again that female foeticide is rampant in India
despite awareness campaigns The police said that the woman had died in a botched
abortion and they were looking for the foetus near a local hospital when they made the
grisly discovery It appears to be an abortion racket We have arrested the husband of the
woman and have launched a manhunt for the doctor who has gone missing Dattatray
Shinde superintendent of police told the BBC BBC News
India Missing the signals - Indiarsquos anti-vaccination social
media campaign
7 March - India recently launched a one-month campaign to vaccinate over 35 million
9-month to 15-year old children with a measles-rubella vaccine across five states The
campaign marked the start of a two-year initiative aiming to vaccinate over 400 million
children across India ndash part of a larger global effort to eliminate measles and rubella By the
end of the first month of the campaign it became clear that it was struggling to meet its
goal A different kind of campaign was circulating on WhatsApp and Facebook ndash fuelling a
mix of conspiracy theories safety concerns and questioning around why the vaccine and
the campaign were needed Whatrsquos more the rumours were taking hold in the wealthier
southern states with generally the best education and health indicators in the country
The Vaccine Confidence Project
Myanmar Tuberculosis kills 14 in Myanmarrsquos remote
north
9 March - At least 14 people have died from pulmonary tuberculosis in a remote and
impoverished region in Myanmarrsquos north this year according to officials Thursday The
illness characterized by a persistent cough has hit two villages in Lahe Township of the
mountainous Naga region located around 1300 kilometers (800 miles) from Myanmarrsquos
largest city Yangon Maung Kal a lawmaker representing the area told Anadolu Agency on
Thursday that 14 middle-aged people -- including six women -- have succumbed to the
disease over the past two months hellip According to World Health Organization (WHO)
estimates more than 150000 people suffer from tuberculosis in Myanmar which is
currently included in a list of 30 countries recognized as high-burden with the infectious
respiratory disease Anadolu Agency
top of page
23
USSOUTHCOM
Brazil WHO expands vaccination advice as yellow fever
covers southeast Brazil state
7 March - The entire Brazilian state of Espirito Santo is now considered at risk for yellow
fever transmission the World Health Organization says raising concerns the deadly virus
could spread to the nations biggest cities An ongoing yellow fever outbreak has so far
been limited to rural areas hellip [b]ut there are growing concerns the virus could spread to
urban centers like Rio de Janeiro Sao Paulo Belo Horizonte and Vitoria - areas where tens
of millions live Reuters
Ecuador Leads desperate artisans
Spring 2017 - hellip Lead has been used in ceramic glazes for thousands of years for its
beautiful and strong finishmdashbut more importantlymdashbecause it enables the glaze to melt at
a lower temperature facilitating the use of backyard low-fire kilns In La Victoria to get the
lead for these glazes artisans turned to the lead plates from car batteries manually
removing them and melting them down in their kilns This process aerosolized the lead
enabling it to be inhaled by people and distributed across the environment widely
contaminating soil foods objects and homes hellip [Edgar] Neto tells me that environmental
health inspections should be done in La Victoria every three months but there are no police
to enforce the environmental laws Although no one in La Victoria tells stories of fines levied
for crimes against the environment the social structure within the political and artisan
associations here is strong and much of the lead use among artisans has changed hellip While
excessive exposure and acute lead toxicity may have abated leadrsquos potential for health
problems continuesmdashin the form of chronic exposure Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health
top of page
24
US Military | Global | Influenza | VeterinaryFood Safety | Wellness | Contact Us
USAFRICOM | USCENTCOM | USEUCOM | USNORTHCOM | USPACOM | USSOUTHCOM
The Army Public Health Weekly Update does not analyze the information as to its strategic or tactical impact on the US Army and is not a medical
intelligence product Medical intelligence is available from the National Center for Medical Intelligence
External Links The appearance of external hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the US Army of this Web site or the information products
or services contained therein For other than authorized activities such as military exchanges and MWR sites the US Army does not exercise any
editorial control over the information you may find at these locations Such links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of this product
Although we avoid links to sites that may be blocked all sites may not be accessible from all locations While we verify the links at the time of
publication we cannot guarantee that they will be active in the future
Articles appearing in the Update do not necessarily represent US Army Medical Command opinionsviews policy or guidance and should not be
construed or interpreted as being endorsed by the US Army Medical Command
The Army Public Health Weekly Update is published by the Public Health Information Directorate Army Public Health Center
17
amended agreement represents the culmination of nearly three years of US Food and Drug
Administration and EU cooperation as part of the Mutual Reliance Initiative and will allow
the FDA and EU drug inspectors to rely upon information from drug inspections conducted
within each otherrsquos borders Ultimately this will enable the FDA and EU to avoid the
duplication of drug inspections lower inspection costs and enable regulators to devote
more resources to other parts of the world where there may be greater risk FDA
Israel marijuana Users to face fine rather than criminal
charge
5 March - The Israeli government has taken steps to reduce the penalties for personal
marijuana use It backed plans to issue fines initially and only resort to criminal charges for
repeat offenders Selling buying and producing the drug will remain illegal and the move
must still be ratified by parliament According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime almost
9 of Israelis use cannabis though some experts believe the figure to be higher The move
follows recommendations by a committee set up to study the issue and moves by a
number of US states and European nations to decriminalise use of the drug BBC News
Romania Measles outbreak in Romania - ECDC assesses
the risk of spread to and sustained transmission in
EUEEA countries
7 March - An outbreak of measles is ongoing in Romania From the end of September 2016
to 17 February 2017 the Romanian National Institute of Public Health received reports of
3071 cases of measles Cases continue to be reported despite ongoing response measures
at national level through reinforced vaccination activities hellip Considering the size and
geographical spread of the ongoing measles outbreak in Romania the likelihood of
exportation of measles cases is high Between 1 February 2016 and 31 January 2017 ECDC
received reports of 4484 cases of measles from 30 EUEEA countries hellip Given that the
vaccination coverage target [of 95] is still to be reached in a number of EUEEA countries
the risk of spread and sustained transmission from areas where measles transmission is
occurring in areas with susceptible populations is high Eurosurveillance
Romania Romanias healthcare exodus
9 March - hellip Romania has bled out tens of thousands of doctors nurses dentists and
pharmacists since joining the European Union a decade ago lured abroad by what the
country lacks significantly higher pay modern infrastructure and functional healthcare
systems France Germany and Britain are among the most popular destinations The
consequences are dire Romania is one of the EU states with the fewest doctors Nearly a
third of hospital positions are vacant and the health ministry estimates one in four
Romanians has insufficient access to essential healthcare hellip This despite the fact that
Romania is a leading EU state when it comes to the number of medical graduates Reuters
18
Switzerland Measles outbreaks continue to plague
Switzerland
28 February - Switzerland is on track to see the most cases of measles in years in 2017
Vaccinations are on the rise but the government recently admitted its eradication strategy
has failed In 1987 the Federal Health Office announced a vaccination strategy that it hoped
would eradicate measles by the year 2000 Seventeen years after that deadline the
vaccination rate lies at 87 below the 95 that the World Health Organization deems a
target for eradication Daniel Koch head of the infectious disease unit at the Federal Health
Office told swissinfoch that ldquothe number of people who are vaccinated has been
consistently rising but wersquore not yet where we want to berdquo Over the past several decades
Switzerland has had significant outbreaks roughly every four years In a long-term outbreak
between 2006 and 2009 Switzerland reached the highest measles rate in Europe with 4371
registered cases SWI
United Kingdom Nestleacute to remove 10 of sugar from all
snacks in UK and Ireland by 2018
7 March - Nestleacute one of the worldrsquos biggest chocolate manufacturers will take 10 of the
sugar out of its confectionery in the UK and Ireland by 2018 The corporation says the cut is
from the levels existing in its sugary products in 2015 and will amount to about 7500
tonnes The announcement follows public concern over the quantity of sugar in the
countryrsquos diet and its contribution to rising obesity levels The threat of a sugar levy on soft
drinks has encouraged the reformulation of Irn Bru and Lucozade which will escape the tax
although there have been no such moves by PepsiCo or Coca-Cola hellip Nestleacute says it will not
use artificial sweeteners in its confectionery Instead it plans to replace sugar with higher
quantities of existing ingredients or other non-artificial ingredients and ensuring products
are below a certain amount of calories The Guardian
top of page
USNORTHCOM
Canada Dallaire testifies mefloquine drug impaired
thought process in Rwanda
7 March - The Canadian army officer who led the UN peacekeeping mission during the
Rwandan genocide says the antimalarial drug mefloquine affected his thought processes
during his deployment but the military refused to let him stop taking it Romeacuteo Dallaire the
human rights activist retired lieutenant-general and former senator who speaks openly
about his struggles with post-traumatic stress syndrome told the Commons veterans affairs
19
committee this week that mefloquine interferes with the ability to make quick decisions in
military theatres hellip Soldiers who were given mefloquine in Somalia in the early 1990s as
part of a poorly administered ndash and possibly illegal ndash clinical trial run by the Department of
National Defence have told the veterans affairs committee that the medication caused
lasting brain damage hellip Health Canada began in December to review available information
about any causal link between the use of mefloquine and persistent neurological or
psychiatric adverse events their frequency and severity and whether any particular segment
of the population is at increased risk The Globe and Mail
US CDC wants better data to manage global
communicable diseases
6 March - To better understand how diseases travel with international airline passengers
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is seeking advanced global aviation
intelligence data and analytical tools to enhance the agencyrsquos ability to analyze global
aviation patterns In a request for proposals posted Feb 16 the CDC said it needs more
advanced data and tools because air travel has become an increasingly common conduit for
the spread of disease ldquoThe need is immediate and ongoing for a single secure and web-
based global aviation database and analytical application to support analysis of aviation
global capacity and domestic and international passenger traffic (historical and future)rdquo the
RFP said GCN
US EPA chief unconvinced on CO2 link to global
warming
9 March - The new head of the Environmental Protection Agency said on Thursday he is not
convinced that carbon dioxide from human activity is the main driver of climate change and
said he wants Congress to weigh in on whether CO2 is a harmful pollutant that should be
regulated In an interview with CNBC EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt said the Trump
administration will make an announcement on fuel efficiency standards for cars very soon
stressing that he and President Donald Trump believe current standards were rushed
through Pruitt 48 is a climate change denier who sued the agency he now leads more than
a dozen times as Oklahomas attorney general He said he was not convinced that carbon
dioxide pollution from burning fossil fuels like oil gas and coal is the main cause of climate
change a conclusion widely embraced by scientists Reuters
US EPA environmental justice leader resigns amid
White House plans to dismantle program
9 March - A key environmental justice leader at the Environmental Protection Agency has
resigned saying that a recent budget proposal to defund such work would harm the people
who most rely on the EPA Mustafa Ali a senior advisor and assistant associate
administrator for environmental justice has served more than two decades at the agency
working to ease the burden of air and water pollution in hundreds of poor minority
20
communities nationwide He helped found the EPArsquos environmental justice office during the
early 1990s and became a key adviser to agency administrators under Republican and
Democratic presidents hellip [T]he White House is seeking to close the agencyrsquos Office of
Environmental Justice hellip [T]he new administration hellip ldquoassumes any future EJ specific policy
work can be transferred to the Office of Policyrdquo The Washington Post
US FDA has encouraged development but needs to
clarify the role of draft guidance and develop qualified
infectious disease product guidance
January 2017 - Antibiotics have long played a key role in treating infections but this role is
threatened by growing resistance to existing antibiotics and the decline in the development
of new drugs hellip The [Generating Antibiotic Incentives Now (GAIN)] provisions created the
[qualified infectious disease products (QIDP)] designation and its associated incentives to
encourage the development of new drugs to treat serious or life-threatening infections
While it is too soon to tell if GAIN has stimulated the development of new drugs GAO was
asked to provide information on FDArsquos efforts to implement GAIN hellip GAO recommends that
FDA clarify the role of draft guidance for and develop written guidance on the QIDP
designation to help drug sponsors better understand the designation and its associated
incentives HHS said it would consider GAOrsquos first recommendation and agreed with the
second GAO believes the first recommendation should also be adopted GAO
US Forbidding forecast for Lyme disease in the
northeast
6 March - hellip [Rick] Keesing and [Felicia] Ostfeld who have
studied Lyme for more than 20 years have come up with an
early warning system for the disease They can predict how
many cases there will be a year in advance by looking at one
key measurement Count the mice the year before The
number of critters scampering around the forest in the
summer correlates to the Lyme cases the following summer theyve reported The
explanation is simple Mice are highly efficient transmitters of Lyme They infect up to 95
percent of ticks that feed on them Mice are responsible for infecting the majority of ticks
carrying Lyme in the Northeast And ticks love mice An individual mouse might have 50
60 even 100 ticks covering its ears and face Ostfeld says So that mouse plague last year
means there is going to be a Lyme plague this year NPR
US Obamacare repeal guts crucial public health funds
8 March - The latest Republican health-care bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act would
eliminate funds for fundamental public health programs including for the prevention of
bioterrorism and disease outbreaks as well as money to provide immunizations and heart-
disease screenings As part of the ACA or Obamacare the Prevention and Public Health
21
Fund provides almost $1 billion annually to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Since 2010 the fund has been an increasingly important source of money for core CDC
programs today accounting for about 12 percent of the CDCrsquos total budget The GOP bill
would eliminate the Prevention and Public Health Fund starting in October of next year No
clear replacement has been proposed The Washington Post
US Patients demand the right to try experimental
drugs but costs can be steep 3 March - In the last three years 33 US states have passed laws aimed at helping dying
people get easier access to experimental treatments that are still in the early stages of
human testing Supporters say these patients are just looking for the right to try these
treatments Such laws sound compassionate but medical ethicists warn they pose
worrisome risks to the health and finances of vulnerable patients hellip Dr R Adams Dudley
director of UCSFs Center for Healthcare Value [says] If we take the FDA out of it how do
we protect people from physicians or drug companies that will want to sell them things and
will want to prey on their desperation hellip Patients could spend huge amounts of money
trying a drug that hasnt been proved to work he says And the patient may also be giving
up their hopes for a controlled peaceful death at home NPR
US Ten million lives saved by 1962 breakthrough study
says 3 March - Nearly 200 million cases of polio measles mumps rubella varicella adenovirus
rabies and hepatitis Amdashand approximately 450000 deaths from these diseasesmdashwere
prevented in the US alone between 1963 and 2015 by vaccination researchers estimate
In 1963 vaccination against these infections became widespread thanks to the
development of a human cell strain that allowed vaccines to be produced safely Globally
the vaccines developed from this strain and its derivatives prevented an estimated 45
billion cases of disease and saved more than 10 million lives Author S Jay Olshansky
professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of Illinois at Chicago School of
Public Health hellip used previously-published data on cases and deaths for each disease in the
US in 1960 before vaccines were available for these diseases Medical Xpress
US US skin disease burden expected to increase 3 March - More than one-fourth of Americans (27) were seen by a physician for skin
disease in 2013 and they averaged 16 skin diseases each researchers found Skin disease
costs at least $75 billion to treat in a single year and is an especially big problem in the 65-
and-older population which tends to get more skin diseases due to lifelong cumulative sun
exposure and increasing susceptibility to bacterial viral and fungal diseases With the
projected increase in the age group 65 years and older in the US population combined
with the increased costs of currently in-use and newly developed dermatologic treatment
options the economic burden of skin disease will continue to grow the investigators
wrote MedPage Today
top of page
22
USPACOM
India India abortion - police find 19 female foetuses
6 March - Police in the western Indian state of Maharashtra have found 19 aborted female
foetuses near a hospital Senior police officials in Sangli district said the remains were
buried with the intention of disposing them The police told the BBC that they found the
foetuses while they were investigating the death of a woman who had undergone an illegal
abortion Activists say the incident proves yet again that female foeticide is rampant in India
despite awareness campaigns The police said that the woman had died in a botched
abortion and they were looking for the foetus near a local hospital when they made the
grisly discovery It appears to be an abortion racket We have arrested the husband of the
woman and have launched a manhunt for the doctor who has gone missing Dattatray
Shinde superintendent of police told the BBC BBC News
India Missing the signals - Indiarsquos anti-vaccination social
media campaign
7 March - India recently launched a one-month campaign to vaccinate over 35 million
9-month to 15-year old children with a measles-rubella vaccine across five states The
campaign marked the start of a two-year initiative aiming to vaccinate over 400 million
children across India ndash part of a larger global effort to eliminate measles and rubella By the
end of the first month of the campaign it became clear that it was struggling to meet its
goal A different kind of campaign was circulating on WhatsApp and Facebook ndash fuelling a
mix of conspiracy theories safety concerns and questioning around why the vaccine and
the campaign were needed Whatrsquos more the rumours were taking hold in the wealthier
southern states with generally the best education and health indicators in the country
The Vaccine Confidence Project
Myanmar Tuberculosis kills 14 in Myanmarrsquos remote
north
9 March - At least 14 people have died from pulmonary tuberculosis in a remote and
impoverished region in Myanmarrsquos north this year according to officials Thursday The
illness characterized by a persistent cough has hit two villages in Lahe Township of the
mountainous Naga region located around 1300 kilometers (800 miles) from Myanmarrsquos
largest city Yangon Maung Kal a lawmaker representing the area told Anadolu Agency on
Thursday that 14 middle-aged people -- including six women -- have succumbed to the
disease over the past two months hellip According to World Health Organization (WHO)
estimates more than 150000 people suffer from tuberculosis in Myanmar which is
currently included in a list of 30 countries recognized as high-burden with the infectious
respiratory disease Anadolu Agency
top of page
23
USSOUTHCOM
Brazil WHO expands vaccination advice as yellow fever
covers southeast Brazil state
7 March - The entire Brazilian state of Espirito Santo is now considered at risk for yellow
fever transmission the World Health Organization says raising concerns the deadly virus
could spread to the nations biggest cities An ongoing yellow fever outbreak has so far
been limited to rural areas hellip [b]ut there are growing concerns the virus could spread to
urban centers like Rio de Janeiro Sao Paulo Belo Horizonte and Vitoria - areas where tens
of millions live Reuters
Ecuador Leads desperate artisans
Spring 2017 - hellip Lead has been used in ceramic glazes for thousands of years for its
beautiful and strong finishmdashbut more importantlymdashbecause it enables the glaze to melt at
a lower temperature facilitating the use of backyard low-fire kilns In La Victoria to get the
lead for these glazes artisans turned to the lead plates from car batteries manually
removing them and melting them down in their kilns This process aerosolized the lead
enabling it to be inhaled by people and distributed across the environment widely
contaminating soil foods objects and homes hellip [Edgar] Neto tells me that environmental
health inspections should be done in La Victoria every three months but there are no police
to enforce the environmental laws Although no one in La Victoria tells stories of fines levied
for crimes against the environment the social structure within the political and artisan
associations here is strong and much of the lead use among artisans has changed hellip While
excessive exposure and acute lead toxicity may have abated leadrsquos potential for health
problems continuesmdashin the form of chronic exposure Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health
top of page
24
US Military | Global | Influenza | VeterinaryFood Safety | Wellness | Contact Us
USAFRICOM | USCENTCOM | USEUCOM | USNORTHCOM | USPACOM | USSOUTHCOM
The Army Public Health Weekly Update does not analyze the information as to its strategic or tactical impact on the US Army and is not a medical
intelligence product Medical intelligence is available from the National Center for Medical Intelligence
External Links The appearance of external hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the US Army of this Web site or the information products
or services contained therein For other than authorized activities such as military exchanges and MWR sites the US Army does not exercise any
editorial control over the information you may find at these locations Such links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of this product
Although we avoid links to sites that may be blocked all sites may not be accessible from all locations While we verify the links at the time of
publication we cannot guarantee that they will be active in the future
Articles appearing in the Update do not necessarily represent US Army Medical Command opinionsviews policy or guidance and should not be
construed or interpreted as being endorsed by the US Army Medical Command
The Army Public Health Weekly Update is published by the Public Health Information Directorate Army Public Health Center
18
Switzerland Measles outbreaks continue to plague
Switzerland
28 February - Switzerland is on track to see the most cases of measles in years in 2017
Vaccinations are on the rise but the government recently admitted its eradication strategy
has failed In 1987 the Federal Health Office announced a vaccination strategy that it hoped
would eradicate measles by the year 2000 Seventeen years after that deadline the
vaccination rate lies at 87 below the 95 that the World Health Organization deems a
target for eradication Daniel Koch head of the infectious disease unit at the Federal Health
Office told swissinfoch that ldquothe number of people who are vaccinated has been
consistently rising but wersquore not yet where we want to berdquo Over the past several decades
Switzerland has had significant outbreaks roughly every four years In a long-term outbreak
between 2006 and 2009 Switzerland reached the highest measles rate in Europe with 4371
registered cases SWI
United Kingdom Nestleacute to remove 10 of sugar from all
snacks in UK and Ireland by 2018
7 March - Nestleacute one of the worldrsquos biggest chocolate manufacturers will take 10 of the
sugar out of its confectionery in the UK and Ireland by 2018 The corporation says the cut is
from the levels existing in its sugary products in 2015 and will amount to about 7500
tonnes The announcement follows public concern over the quantity of sugar in the
countryrsquos diet and its contribution to rising obesity levels The threat of a sugar levy on soft
drinks has encouraged the reformulation of Irn Bru and Lucozade which will escape the tax
although there have been no such moves by PepsiCo or Coca-Cola hellip Nestleacute says it will not
use artificial sweeteners in its confectionery Instead it plans to replace sugar with higher
quantities of existing ingredients or other non-artificial ingredients and ensuring products
are below a certain amount of calories The Guardian
top of page
USNORTHCOM
Canada Dallaire testifies mefloquine drug impaired
thought process in Rwanda
7 March - The Canadian army officer who led the UN peacekeeping mission during the
Rwandan genocide says the antimalarial drug mefloquine affected his thought processes
during his deployment but the military refused to let him stop taking it Romeacuteo Dallaire the
human rights activist retired lieutenant-general and former senator who speaks openly
about his struggles with post-traumatic stress syndrome told the Commons veterans affairs
19
committee this week that mefloquine interferes with the ability to make quick decisions in
military theatres hellip Soldiers who were given mefloquine in Somalia in the early 1990s as
part of a poorly administered ndash and possibly illegal ndash clinical trial run by the Department of
National Defence have told the veterans affairs committee that the medication caused
lasting brain damage hellip Health Canada began in December to review available information
about any causal link between the use of mefloquine and persistent neurological or
psychiatric adverse events their frequency and severity and whether any particular segment
of the population is at increased risk The Globe and Mail
US CDC wants better data to manage global
communicable diseases
6 March - To better understand how diseases travel with international airline passengers
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is seeking advanced global aviation
intelligence data and analytical tools to enhance the agencyrsquos ability to analyze global
aviation patterns In a request for proposals posted Feb 16 the CDC said it needs more
advanced data and tools because air travel has become an increasingly common conduit for
the spread of disease ldquoThe need is immediate and ongoing for a single secure and web-
based global aviation database and analytical application to support analysis of aviation
global capacity and domestic and international passenger traffic (historical and future)rdquo the
RFP said GCN
US EPA chief unconvinced on CO2 link to global
warming
9 March - The new head of the Environmental Protection Agency said on Thursday he is not
convinced that carbon dioxide from human activity is the main driver of climate change and
said he wants Congress to weigh in on whether CO2 is a harmful pollutant that should be
regulated In an interview with CNBC EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt said the Trump
administration will make an announcement on fuel efficiency standards for cars very soon
stressing that he and President Donald Trump believe current standards were rushed
through Pruitt 48 is a climate change denier who sued the agency he now leads more than
a dozen times as Oklahomas attorney general He said he was not convinced that carbon
dioxide pollution from burning fossil fuels like oil gas and coal is the main cause of climate
change a conclusion widely embraced by scientists Reuters
US EPA environmental justice leader resigns amid
White House plans to dismantle program
9 March - A key environmental justice leader at the Environmental Protection Agency has
resigned saying that a recent budget proposal to defund such work would harm the people
who most rely on the EPA Mustafa Ali a senior advisor and assistant associate
administrator for environmental justice has served more than two decades at the agency
working to ease the burden of air and water pollution in hundreds of poor minority
20
communities nationwide He helped found the EPArsquos environmental justice office during the
early 1990s and became a key adviser to agency administrators under Republican and
Democratic presidents hellip [T]he White House is seeking to close the agencyrsquos Office of
Environmental Justice hellip [T]he new administration hellip ldquoassumes any future EJ specific policy
work can be transferred to the Office of Policyrdquo The Washington Post
US FDA has encouraged development but needs to
clarify the role of draft guidance and develop qualified
infectious disease product guidance
January 2017 - Antibiotics have long played a key role in treating infections but this role is
threatened by growing resistance to existing antibiotics and the decline in the development
of new drugs hellip The [Generating Antibiotic Incentives Now (GAIN)] provisions created the
[qualified infectious disease products (QIDP)] designation and its associated incentives to
encourage the development of new drugs to treat serious or life-threatening infections
While it is too soon to tell if GAIN has stimulated the development of new drugs GAO was
asked to provide information on FDArsquos efforts to implement GAIN hellip GAO recommends that
FDA clarify the role of draft guidance for and develop written guidance on the QIDP
designation to help drug sponsors better understand the designation and its associated
incentives HHS said it would consider GAOrsquos first recommendation and agreed with the
second GAO believes the first recommendation should also be adopted GAO
US Forbidding forecast for Lyme disease in the
northeast
6 March - hellip [Rick] Keesing and [Felicia] Ostfeld who have
studied Lyme for more than 20 years have come up with an
early warning system for the disease They can predict how
many cases there will be a year in advance by looking at one
key measurement Count the mice the year before The
number of critters scampering around the forest in the
summer correlates to the Lyme cases the following summer theyve reported The
explanation is simple Mice are highly efficient transmitters of Lyme They infect up to 95
percent of ticks that feed on them Mice are responsible for infecting the majority of ticks
carrying Lyme in the Northeast And ticks love mice An individual mouse might have 50
60 even 100 ticks covering its ears and face Ostfeld says So that mouse plague last year
means there is going to be a Lyme plague this year NPR
US Obamacare repeal guts crucial public health funds
8 March - The latest Republican health-care bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act would
eliminate funds for fundamental public health programs including for the prevention of
bioterrorism and disease outbreaks as well as money to provide immunizations and heart-
disease screenings As part of the ACA or Obamacare the Prevention and Public Health
21
Fund provides almost $1 billion annually to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Since 2010 the fund has been an increasingly important source of money for core CDC
programs today accounting for about 12 percent of the CDCrsquos total budget The GOP bill
would eliminate the Prevention and Public Health Fund starting in October of next year No
clear replacement has been proposed The Washington Post
US Patients demand the right to try experimental
drugs but costs can be steep 3 March - In the last three years 33 US states have passed laws aimed at helping dying
people get easier access to experimental treatments that are still in the early stages of
human testing Supporters say these patients are just looking for the right to try these
treatments Such laws sound compassionate but medical ethicists warn they pose
worrisome risks to the health and finances of vulnerable patients hellip Dr R Adams Dudley
director of UCSFs Center for Healthcare Value [says] If we take the FDA out of it how do
we protect people from physicians or drug companies that will want to sell them things and
will want to prey on their desperation hellip Patients could spend huge amounts of money
trying a drug that hasnt been proved to work he says And the patient may also be giving
up their hopes for a controlled peaceful death at home NPR
US Ten million lives saved by 1962 breakthrough study
says 3 March - Nearly 200 million cases of polio measles mumps rubella varicella adenovirus
rabies and hepatitis Amdashand approximately 450000 deaths from these diseasesmdashwere
prevented in the US alone between 1963 and 2015 by vaccination researchers estimate
In 1963 vaccination against these infections became widespread thanks to the
development of a human cell strain that allowed vaccines to be produced safely Globally
the vaccines developed from this strain and its derivatives prevented an estimated 45
billion cases of disease and saved more than 10 million lives Author S Jay Olshansky
professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of Illinois at Chicago School of
Public Health hellip used previously-published data on cases and deaths for each disease in the
US in 1960 before vaccines were available for these diseases Medical Xpress
US US skin disease burden expected to increase 3 March - More than one-fourth of Americans (27) were seen by a physician for skin
disease in 2013 and they averaged 16 skin diseases each researchers found Skin disease
costs at least $75 billion to treat in a single year and is an especially big problem in the 65-
and-older population which tends to get more skin diseases due to lifelong cumulative sun
exposure and increasing susceptibility to bacterial viral and fungal diseases With the
projected increase in the age group 65 years and older in the US population combined
with the increased costs of currently in-use and newly developed dermatologic treatment
options the economic burden of skin disease will continue to grow the investigators
wrote MedPage Today
top of page
22
USPACOM
India India abortion - police find 19 female foetuses
6 March - Police in the western Indian state of Maharashtra have found 19 aborted female
foetuses near a hospital Senior police officials in Sangli district said the remains were
buried with the intention of disposing them The police told the BBC that they found the
foetuses while they were investigating the death of a woman who had undergone an illegal
abortion Activists say the incident proves yet again that female foeticide is rampant in India
despite awareness campaigns The police said that the woman had died in a botched
abortion and they were looking for the foetus near a local hospital when they made the
grisly discovery It appears to be an abortion racket We have arrested the husband of the
woman and have launched a manhunt for the doctor who has gone missing Dattatray
Shinde superintendent of police told the BBC BBC News
India Missing the signals - Indiarsquos anti-vaccination social
media campaign
7 March - India recently launched a one-month campaign to vaccinate over 35 million
9-month to 15-year old children with a measles-rubella vaccine across five states The
campaign marked the start of a two-year initiative aiming to vaccinate over 400 million
children across India ndash part of a larger global effort to eliminate measles and rubella By the
end of the first month of the campaign it became clear that it was struggling to meet its
goal A different kind of campaign was circulating on WhatsApp and Facebook ndash fuelling a
mix of conspiracy theories safety concerns and questioning around why the vaccine and
the campaign were needed Whatrsquos more the rumours were taking hold in the wealthier
southern states with generally the best education and health indicators in the country
The Vaccine Confidence Project
Myanmar Tuberculosis kills 14 in Myanmarrsquos remote
north
9 March - At least 14 people have died from pulmonary tuberculosis in a remote and
impoverished region in Myanmarrsquos north this year according to officials Thursday The
illness characterized by a persistent cough has hit two villages in Lahe Township of the
mountainous Naga region located around 1300 kilometers (800 miles) from Myanmarrsquos
largest city Yangon Maung Kal a lawmaker representing the area told Anadolu Agency on
Thursday that 14 middle-aged people -- including six women -- have succumbed to the
disease over the past two months hellip According to World Health Organization (WHO)
estimates more than 150000 people suffer from tuberculosis in Myanmar which is
currently included in a list of 30 countries recognized as high-burden with the infectious
respiratory disease Anadolu Agency
top of page
23
USSOUTHCOM
Brazil WHO expands vaccination advice as yellow fever
covers southeast Brazil state
7 March - The entire Brazilian state of Espirito Santo is now considered at risk for yellow
fever transmission the World Health Organization says raising concerns the deadly virus
could spread to the nations biggest cities An ongoing yellow fever outbreak has so far
been limited to rural areas hellip [b]ut there are growing concerns the virus could spread to
urban centers like Rio de Janeiro Sao Paulo Belo Horizonte and Vitoria - areas where tens
of millions live Reuters
Ecuador Leads desperate artisans
Spring 2017 - hellip Lead has been used in ceramic glazes for thousands of years for its
beautiful and strong finishmdashbut more importantlymdashbecause it enables the glaze to melt at
a lower temperature facilitating the use of backyard low-fire kilns In La Victoria to get the
lead for these glazes artisans turned to the lead plates from car batteries manually
removing them and melting them down in their kilns This process aerosolized the lead
enabling it to be inhaled by people and distributed across the environment widely
contaminating soil foods objects and homes hellip [Edgar] Neto tells me that environmental
health inspections should be done in La Victoria every three months but there are no police
to enforce the environmental laws Although no one in La Victoria tells stories of fines levied
for crimes against the environment the social structure within the political and artisan
associations here is strong and much of the lead use among artisans has changed hellip While
excessive exposure and acute lead toxicity may have abated leadrsquos potential for health
problems continuesmdashin the form of chronic exposure Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health
top of page
24
US Military | Global | Influenza | VeterinaryFood Safety | Wellness | Contact Us
USAFRICOM | USCENTCOM | USEUCOM | USNORTHCOM | USPACOM | USSOUTHCOM
The Army Public Health Weekly Update does not analyze the information as to its strategic or tactical impact on the US Army and is not a medical
intelligence product Medical intelligence is available from the National Center for Medical Intelligence
External Links The appearance of external hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the US Army of this Web site or the information products
or services contained therein For other than authorized activities such as military exchanges and MWR sites the US Army does not exercise any
editorial control over the information you may find at these locations Such links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of this product
Although we avoid links to sites that may be blocked all sites may not be accessible from all locations While we verify the links at the time of
publication we cannot guarantee that they will be active in the future
Articles appearing in the Update do not necessarily represent US Army Medical Command opinionsviews policy or guidance and should not be
construed or interpreted as being endorsed by the US Army Medical Command
The Army Public Health Weekly Update is published by the Public Health Information Directorate Army Public Health Center
19
committee this week that mefloquine interferes with the ability to make quick decisions in
military theatres hellip Soldiers who were given mefloquine in Somalia in the early 1990s as
part of a poorly administered ndash and possibly illegal ndash clinical trial run by the Department of
National Defence have told the veterans affairs committee that the medication caused
lasting brain damage hellip Health Canada began in December to review available information
about any causal link between the use of mefloquine and persistent neurological or
psychiatric adverse events their frequency and severity and whether any particular segment
of the population is at increased risk The Globe and Mail
US CDC wants better data to manage global
communicable diseases
6 March - To better understand how diseases travel with international airline passengers
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is seeking advanced global aviation
intelligence data and analytical tools to enhance the agencyrsquos ability to analyze global
aviation patterns In a request for proposals posted Feb 16 the CDC said it needs more
advanced data and tools because air travel has become an increasingly common conduit for
the spread of disease ldquoThe need is immediate and ongoing for a single secure and web-
based global aviation database and analytical application to support analysis of aviation
global capacity and domestic and international passenger traffic (historical and future)rdquo the
RFP said GCN
US EPA chief unconvinced on CO2 link to global
warming
9 March - The new head of the Environmental Protection Agency said on Thursday he is not
convinced that carbon dioxide from human activity is the main driver of climate change and
said he wants Congress to weigh in on whether CO2 is a harmful pollutant that should be
regulated In an interview with CNBC EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt said the Trump
administration will make an announcement on fuel efficiency standards for cars very soon
stressing that he and President Donald Trump believe current standards were rushed
through Pruitt 48 is a climate change denier who sued the agency he now leads more than
a dozen times as Oklahomas attorney general He said he was not convinced that carbon
dioxide pollution from burning fossil fuels like oil gas and coal is the main cause of climate
change a conclusion widely embraced by scientists Reuters
US EPA environmental justice leader resigns amid
White House plans to dismantle program
9 March - A key environmental justice leader at the Environmental Protection Agency has
resigned saying that a recent budget proposal to defund such work would harm the people
who most rely on the EPA Mustafa Ali a senior advisor and assistant associate
administrator for environmental justice has served more than two decades at the agency
working to ease the burden of air and water pollution in hundreds of poor minority
20
communities nationwide He helped found the EPArsquos environmental justice office during the
early 1990s and became a key adviser to agency administrators under Republican and
Democratic presidents hellip [T]he White House is seeking to close the agencyrsquos Office of
Environmental Justice hellip [T]he new administration hellip ldquoassumes any future EJ specific policy
work can be transferred to the Office of Policyrdquo The Washington Post
US FDA has encouraged development but needs to
clarify the role of draft guidance and develop qualified
infectious disease product guidance
January 2017 - Antibiotics have long played a key role in treating infections but this role is
threatened by growing resistance to existing antibiotics and the decline in the development
of new drugs hellip The [Generating Antibiotic Incentives Now (GAIN)] provisions created the
[qualified infectious disease products (QIDP)] designation and its associated incentives to
encourage the development of new drugs to treat serious or life-threatening infections
While it is too soon to tell if GAIN has stimulated the development of new drugs GAO was
asked to provide information on FDArsquos efforts to implement GAIN hellip GAO recommends that
FDA clarify the role of draft guidance for and develop written guidance on the QIDP
designation to help drug sponsors better understand the designation and its associated
incentives HHS said it would consider GAOrsquos first recommendation and agreed with the
second GAO believes the first recommendation should also be adopted GAO
US Forbidding forecast for Lyme disease in the
northeast
6 March - hellip [Rick] Keesing and [Felicia] Ostfeld who have
studied Lyme for more than 20 years have come up with an
early warning system for the disease They can predict how
many cases there will be a year in advance by looking at one
key measurement Count the mice the year before The
number of critters scampering around the forest in the
summer correlates to the Lyme cases the following summer theyve reported The
explanation is simple Mice are highly efficient transmitters of Lyme They infect up to 95
percent of ticks that feed on them Mice are responsible for infecting the majority of ticks
carrying Lyme in the Northeast And ticks love mice An individual mouse might have 50
60 even 100 ticks covering its ears and face Ostfeld says So that mouse plague last year
means there is going to be a Lyme plague this year NPR
US Obamacare repeal guts crucial public health funds
8 March - The latest Republican health-care bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act would
eliminate funds for fundamental public health programs including for the prevention of
bioterrorism and disease outbreaks as well as money to provide immunizations and heart-
disease screenings As part of the ACA or Obamacare the Prevention and Public Health
21
Fund provides almost $1 billion annually to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Since 2010 the fund has been an increasingly important source of money for core CDC
programs today accounting for about 12 percent of the CDCrsquos total budget The GOP bill
would eliminate the Prevention and Public Health Fund starting in October of next year No
clear replacement has been proposed The Washington Post
US Patients demand the right to try experimental
drugs but costs can be steep 3 March - In the last three years 33 US states have passed laws aimed at helping dying
people get easier access to experimental treatments that are still in the early stages of
human testing Supporters say these patients are just looking for the right to try these
treatments Such laws sound compassionate but medical ethicists warn they pose
worrisome risks to the health and finances of vulnerable patients hellip Dr R Adams Dudley
director of UCSFs Center for Healthcare Value [says] If we take the FDA out of it how do
we protect people from physicians or drug companies that will want to sell them things and
will want to prey on their desperation hellip Patients could spend huge amounts of money
trying a drug that hasnt been proved to work he says And the patient may also be giving
up their hopes for a controlled peaceful death at home NPR
US Ten million lives saved by 1962 breakthrough study
says 3 March - Nearly 200 million cases of polio measles mumps rubella varicella adenovirus
rabies and hepatitis Amdashand approximately 450000 deaths from these diseasesmdashwere
prevented in the US alone between 1963 and 2015 by vaccination researchers estimate
In 1963 vaccination against these infections became widespread thanks to the
development of a human cell strain that allowed vaccines to be produced safely Globally
the vaccines developed from this strain and its derivatives prevented an estimated 45
billion cases of disease and saved more than 10 million lives Author S Jay Olshansky
professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of Illinois at Chicago School of
Public Health hellip used previously-published data on cases and deaths for each disease in the
US in 1960 before vaccines were available for these diseases Medical Xpress
US US skin disease burden expected to increase 3 March - More than one-fourth of Americans (27) were seen by a physician for skin
disease in 2013 and they averaged 16 skin diseases each researchers found Skin disease
costs at least $75 billion to treat in a single year and is an especially big problem in the 65-
and-older population which tends to get more skin diseases due to lifelong cumulative sun
exposure and increasing susceptibility to bacterial viral and fungal diseases With the
projected increase in the age group 65 years and older in the US population combined
with the increased costs of currently in-use and newly developed dermatologic treatment
options the economic burden of skin disease will continue to grow the investigators
wrote MedPage Today
top of page
22
USPACOM
India India abortion - police find 19 female foetuses
6 March - Police in the western Indian state of Maharashtra have found 19 aborted female
foetuses near a hospital Senior police officials in Sangli district said the remains were
buried with the intention of disposing them The police told the BBC that they found the
foetuses while they were investigating the death of a woman who had undergone an illegal
abortion Activists say the incident proves yet again that female foeticide is rampant in India
despite awareness campaigns The police said that the woman had died in a botched
abortion and they were looking for the foetus near a local hospital when they made the
grisly discovery It appears to be an abortion racket We have arrested the husband of the
woman and have launched a manhunt for the doctor who has gone missing Dattatray
Shinde superintendent of police told the BBC BBC News
India Missing the signals - Indiarsquos anti-vaccination social
media campaign
7 March - India recently launched a one-month campaign to vaccinate over 35 million
9-month to 15-year old children with a measles-rubella vaccine across five states The
campaign marked the start of a two-year initiative aiming to vaccinate over 400 million
children across India ndash part of a larger global effort to eliminate measles and rubella By the
end of the first month of the campaign it became clear that it was struggling to meet its
goal A different kind of campaign was circulating on WhatsApp and Facebook ndash fuelling a
mix of conspiracy theories safety concerns and questioning around why the vaccine and
the campaign were needed Whatrsquos more the rumours were taking hold in the wealthier
southern states with generally the best education and health indicators in the country
The Vaccine Confidence Project
Myanmar Tuberculosis kills 14 in Myanmarrsquos remote
north
9 March - At least 14 people have died from pulmonary tuberculosis in a remote and
impoverished region in Myanmarrsquos north this year according to officials Thursday The
illness characterized by a persistent cough has hit two villages in Lahe Township of the
mountainous Naga region located around 1300 kilometers (800 miles) from Myanmarrsquos
largest city Yangon Maung Kal a lawmaker representing the area told Anadolu Agency on
Thursday that 14 middle-aged people -- including six women -- have succumbed to the
disease over the past two months hellip According to World Health Organization (WHO)
estimates more than 150000 people suffer from tuberculosis in Myanmar which is
currently included in a list of 30 countries recognized as high-burden with the infectious
respiratory disease Anadolu Agency
top of page
23
USSOUTHCOM
Brazil WHO expands vaccination advice as yellow fever
covers southeast Brazil state
7 March - The entire Brazilian state of Espirito Santo is now considered at risk for yellow
fever transmission the World Health Organization says raising concerns the deadly virus
could spread to the nations biggest cities An ongoing yellow fever outbreak has so far
been limited to rural areas hellip [b]ut there are growing concerns the virus could spread to
urban centers like Rio de Janeiro Sao Paulo Belo Horizonte and Vitoria - areas where tens
of millions live Reuters
Ecuador Leads desperate artisans
Spring 2017 - hellip Lead has been used in ceramic glazes for thousands of years for its
beautiful and strong finishmdashbut more importantlymdashbecause it enables the glaze to melt at
a lower temperature facilitating the use of backyard low-fire kilns In La Victoria to get the
lead for these glazes artisans turned to the lead plates from car batteries manually
removing them and melting them down in their kilns This process aerosolized the lead
enabling it to be inhaled by people and distributed across the environment widely
contaminating soil foods objects and homes hellip [Edgar] Neto tells me that environmental
health inspections should be done in La Victoria every three months but there are no police
to enforce the environmental laws Although no one in La Victoria tells stories of fines levied
for crimes against the environment the social structure within the political and artisan
associations here is strong and much of the lead use among artisans has changed hellip While
excessive exposure and acute lead toxicity may have abated leadrsquos potential for health
problems continuesmdashin the form of chronic exposure Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health
top of page
24
US Military | Global | Influenza | VeterinaryFood Safety | Wellness | Contact Us
USAFRICOM | USCENTCOM | USEUCOM | USNORTHCOM | USPACOM | USSOUTHCOM
The Army Public Health Weekly Update does not analyze the information as to its strategic or tactical impact on the US Army and is not a medical
intelligence product Medical intelligence is available from the National Center for Medical Intelligence
External Links The appearance of external hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the US Army of this Web site or the information products
or services contained therein For other than authorized activities such as military exchanges and MWR sites the US Army does not exercise any
editorial control over the information you may find at these locations Such links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of this product
Although we avoid links to sites that may be blocked all sites may not be accessible from all locations While we verify the links at the time of
publication we cannot guarantee that they will be active in the future
Articles appearing in the Update do not necessarily represent US Army Medical Command opinionsviews policy or guidance and should not be
construed or interpreted as being endorsed by the US Army Medical Command
The Army Public Health Weekly Update is published by the Public Health Information Directorate Army Public Health Center
20
communities nationwide He helped found the EPArsquos environmental justice office during the
early 1990s and became a key adviser to agency administrators under Republican and
Democratic presidents hellip [T]he White House is seeking to close the agencyrsquos Office of
Environmental Justice hellip [T]he new administration hellip ldquoassumes any future EJ specific policy
work can be transferred to the Office of Policyrdquo The Washington Post
US FDA has encouraged development but needs to
clarify the role of draft guidance and develop qualified
infectious disease product guidance
January 2017 - Antibiotics have long played a key role in treating infections but this role is
threatened by growing resistance to existing antibiotics and the decline in the development
of new drugs hellip The [Generating Antibiotic Incentives Now (GAIN)] provisions created the
[qualified infectious disease products (QIDP)] designation and its associated incentives to
encourage the development of new drugs to treat serious or life-threatening infections
While it is too soon to tell if GAIN has stimulated the development of new drugs GAO was
asked to provide information on FDArsquos efforts to implement GAIN hellip GAO recommends that
FDA clarify the role of draft guidance for and develop written guidance on the QIDP
designation to help drug sponsors better understand the designation and its associated
incentives HHS said it would consider GAOrsquos first recommendation and agreed with the
second GAO believes the first recommendation should also be adopted GAO
US Forbidding forecast for Lyme disease in the
northeast
6 March - hellip [Rick] Keesing and [Felicia] Ostfeld who have
studied Lyme for more than 20 years have come up with an
early warning system for the disease They can predict how
many cases there will be a year in advance by looking at one
key measurement Count the mice the year before The
number of critters scampering around the forest in the
summer correlates to the Lyme cases the following summer theyve reported The
explanation is simple Mice are highly efficient transmitters of Lyme They infect up to 95
percent of ticks that feed on them Mice are responsible for infecting the majority of ticks
carrying Lyme in the Northeast And ticks love mice An individual mouse might have 50
60 even 100 ticks covering its ears and face Ostfeld says So that mouse plague last year
means there is going to be a Lyme plague this year NPR
US Obamacare repeal guts crucial public health funds
8 March - The latest Republican health-care bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act would
eliminate funds for fundamental public health programs including for the prevention of
bioterrorism and disease outbreaks as well as money to provide immunizations and heart-
disease screenings As part of the ACA or Obamacare the Prevention and Public Health
21
Fund provides almost $1 billion annually to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Since 2010 the fund has been an increasingly important source of money for core CDC
programs today accounting for about 12 percent of the CDCrsquos total budget The GOP bill
would eliminate the Prevention and Public Health Fund starting in October of next year No
clear replacement has been proposed The Washington Post
US Patients demand the right to try experimental
drugs but costs can be steep 3 March - In the last three years 33 US states have passed laws aimed at helping dying
people get easier access to experimental treatments that are still in the early stages of
human testing Supporters say these patients are just looking for the right to try these
treatments Such laws sound compassionate but medical ethicists warn they pose
worrisome risks to the health and finances of vulnerable patients hellip Dr R Adams Dudley
director of UCSFs Center for Healthcare Value [says] If we take the FDA out of it how do
we protect people from physicians or drug companies that will want to sell them things and
will want to prey on their desperation hellip Patients could spend huge amounts of money
trying a drug that hasnt been proved to work he says And the patient may also be giving
up their hopes for a controlled peaceful death at home NPR
US Ten million lives saved by 1962 breakthrough study
says 3 March - Nearly 200 million cases of polio measles mumps rubella varicella adenovirus
rabies and hepatitis Amdashand approximately 450000 deaths from these diseasesmdashwere
prevented in the US alone between 1963 and 2015 by vaccination researchers estimate
In 1963 vaccination against these infections became widespread thanks to the
development of a human cell strain that allowed vaccines to be produced safely Globally
the vaccines developed from this strain and its derivatives prevented an estimated 45
billion cases of disease and saved more than 10 million lives Author S Jay Olshansky
professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of Illinois at Chicago School of
Public Health hellip used previously-published data on cases and deaths for each disease in the
US in 1960 before vaccines were available for these diseases Medical Xpress
US US skin disease burden expected to increase 3 March - More than one-fourth of Americans (27) were seen by a physician for skin
disease in 2013 and they averaged 16 skin diseases each researchers found Skin disease
costs at least $75 billion to treat in a single year and is an especially big problem in the 65-
and-older population which tends to get more skin diseases due to lifelong cumulative sun
exposure and increasing susceptibility to bacterial viral and fungal diseases With the
projected increase in the age group 65 years and older in the US population combined
with the increased costs of currently in-use and newly developed dermatologic treatment
options the economic burden of skin disease will continue to grow the investigators
wrote MedPage Today
top of page
22
USPACOM
India India abortion - police find 19 female foetuses
6 March - Police in the western Indian state of Maharashtra have found 19 aborted female
foetuses near a hospital Senior police officials in Sangli district said the remains were
buried with the intention of disposing them The police told the BBC that they found the
foetuses while they were investigating the death of a woman who had undergone an illegal
abortion Activists say the incident proves yet again that female foeticide is rampant in India
despite awareness campaigns The police said that the woman had died in a botched
abortion and they were looking for the foetus near a local hospital when they made the
grisly discovery It appears to be an abortion racket We have arrested the husband of the
woman and have launched a manhunt for the doctor who has gone missing Dattatray
Shinde superintendent of police told the BBC BBC News
India Missing the signals - Indiarsquos anti-vaccination social
media campaign
7 March - India recently launched a one-month campaign to vaccinate over 35 million
9-month to 15-year old children with a measles-rubella vaccine across five states The
campaign marked the start of a two-year initiative aiming to vaccinate over 400 million
children across India ndash part of a larger global effort to eliminate measles and rubella By the
end of the first month of the campaign it became clear that it was struggling to meet its
goal A different kind of campaign was circulating on WhatsApp and Facebook ndash fuelling a
mix of conspiracy theories safety concerns and questioning around why the vaccine and
the campaign were needed Whatrsquos more the rumours were taking hold in the wealthier
southern states with generally the best education and health indicators in the country
The Vaccine Confidence Project
Myanmar Tuberculosis kills 14 in Myanmarrsquos remote
north
9 March - At least 14 people have died from pulmonary tuberculosis in a remote and
impoverished region in Myanmarrsquos north this year according to officials Thursday The
illness characterized by a persistent cough has hit two villages in Lahe Township of the
mountainous Naga region located around 1300 kilometers (800 miles) from Myanmarrsquos
largest city Yangon Maung Kal a lawmaker representing the area told Anadolu Agency on
Thursday that 14 middle-aged people -- including six women -- have succumbed to the
disease over the past two months hellip According to World Health Organization (WHO)
estimates more than 150000 people suffer from tuberculosis in Myanmar which is
currently included in a list of 30 countries recognized as high-burden with the infectious
respiratory disease Anadolu Agency
top of page
23
USSOUTHCOM
Brazil WHO expands vaccination advice as yellow fever
covers southeast Brazil state
7 March - The entire Brazilian state of Espirito Santo is now considered at risk for yellow
fever transmission the World Health Organization says raising concerns the deadly virus
could spread to the nations biggest cities An ongoing yellow fever outbreak has so far
been limited to rural areas hellip [b]ut there are growing concerns the virus could spread to
urban centers like Rio de Janeiro Sao Paulo Belo Horizonte and Vitoria - areas where tens
of millions live Reuters
Ecuador Leads desperate artisans
Spring 2017 - hellip Lead has been used in ceramic glazes for thousands of years for its
beautiful and strong finishmdashbut more importantlymdashbecause it enables the glaze to melt at
a lower temperature facilitating the use of backyard low-fire kilns In La Victoria to get the
lead for these glazes artisans turned to the lead plates from car batteries manually
removing them and melting them down in their kilns This process aerosolized the lead
enabling it to be inhaled by people and distributed across the environment widely
contaminating soil foods objects and homes hellip [Edgar] Neto tells me that environmental
health inspections should be done in La Victoria every three months but there are no police
to enforce the environmental laws Although no one in La Victoria tells stories of fines levied
for crimes against the environment the social structure within the political and artisan
associations here is strong and much of the lead use among artisans has changed hellip While
excessive exposure and acute lead toxicity may have abated leadrsquos potential for health
problems continuesmdashin the form of chronic exposure Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health
top of page
24
US Military | Global | Influenza | VeterinaryFood Safety | Wellness | Contact Us
USAFRICOM | USCENTCOM | USEUCOM | USNORTHCOM | USPACOM | USSOUTHCOM
The Army Public Health Weekly Update does not analyze the information as to its strategic or tactical impact on the US Army and is not a medical
intelligence product Medical intelligence is available from the National Center for Medical Intelligence
External Links The appearance of external hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the US Army of this Web site or the information products
or services contained therein For other than authorized activities such as military exchanges and MWR sites the US Army does not exercise any
editorial control over the information you may find at these locations Such links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of this product
Although we avoid links to sites that may be blocked all sites may not be accessible from all locations While we verify the links at the time of
publication we cannot guarantee that they will be active in the future
Articles appearing in the Update do not necessarily represent US Army Medical Command opinionsviews policy or guidance and should not be
construed or interpreted as being endorsed by the US Army Medical Command
The Army Public Health Weekly Update is published by the Public Health Information Directorate Army Public Health Center
21
Fund provides almost $1 billion annually to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Since 2010 the fund has been an increasingly important source of money for core CDC
programs today accounting for about 12 percent of the CDCrsquos total budget The GOP bill
would eliminate the Prevention and Public Health Fund starting in October of next year No
clear replacement has been proposed The Washington Post
US Patients demand the right to try experimental
drugs but costs can be steep 3 March - In the last three years 33 US states have passed laws aimed at helping dying
people get easier access to experimental treatments that are still in the early stages of
human testing Supporters say these patients are just looking for the right to try these
treatments Such laws sound compassionate but medical ethicists warn they pose
worrisome risks to the health and finances of vulnerable patients hellip Dr R Adams Dudley
director of UCSFs Center for Healthcare Value [says] If we take the FDA out of it how do
we protect people from physicians or drug companies that will want to sell them things and
will want to prey on their desperation hellip Patients could spend huge amounts of money
trying a drug that hasnt been proved to work he says And the patient may also be giving
up their hopes for a controlled peaceful death at home NPR
US Ten million lives saved by 1962 breakthrough study
says 3 March - Nearly 200 million cases of polio measles mumps rubella varicella adenovirus
rabies and hepatitis Amdashand approximately 450000 deaths from these diseasesmdashwere
prevented in the US alone between 1963 and 2015 by vaccination researchers estimate
In 1963 vaccination against these infections became widespread thanks to the
development of a human cell strain that allowed vaccines to be produced safely Globally
the vaccines developed from this strain and its derivatives prevented an estimated 45
billion cases of disease and saved more than 10 million lives Author S Jay Olshansky
professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of Illinois at Chicago School of
Public Health hellip used previously-published data on cases and deaths for each disease in the
US in 1960 before vaccines were available for these diseases Medical Xpress
US US skin disease burden expected to increase 3 March - More than one-fourth of Americans (27) were seen by a physician for skin
disease in 2013 and they averaged 16 skin diseases each researchers found Skin disease
costs at least $75 billion to treat in a single year and is an especially big problem in the 65-
and-older population which tends to get more skin diseases due to lifelong cumulative sun
exposure and increasing susceptibility to bacterial viral and fungal diseases With the
projected increase in the age group 65 years and older in the US population combined
with the increased costs of currently in-use and newly developed dermatologic treatment
options the economic burden of skin disease will continue to grow the investigators
wrote MedPage Today
top of page
22
USPACOM
India India abortion - police find 19 female foetuses
6 March - Police in the western Indian state of Maharashtra have found 19 aborted female
foetuses near a hospital Senior police officials in Sangli district said the remains were
buried with the intention of disposing them The police told the BBC that they found the
foetuses while they were investigating the death of a woman who had undergone an illegal
abortion Activists say the incident proves yet again that female foeticide is rampant in India
despite awareness campaigns The police said that the woman had died in a botched
abortion and they were looking for the foetus near a local hospital when they made the
grisly discovery It appears to be an abortion racket We have arrested the husband of the
woman and have launched a manhunt for the doctor who has gone missing Dattatray
Shinde superintendent of police told the BBC BBC News
India Missing the signals - Indiarsquos anti-vaccination social
media campaign
7 March - India recently launched a one-month campaign to vaccinate over 35 million
9-month to 15-year old children with a measles-rubella vaccine across five states The
campaign marked the start of a two-year initiative aiming to vaccinate over 400 million
children across India ndash part of a larger global effort to eliminate measles and rubella By the
end of the first month of the campaign it became clear that it was struggling to meet its
goal A different kind of campaign was circulating on WhatsApp and Facebook ndash fuelling a
mix of conspiracy theories safety concerns and questioning around why the vaccine and
the campaign were needed Whatrsquos more the rumours were taking hold in the wealthier
southern states with generally the best education and health indicators in the country
The Vaccine Confidence Project
Myanmar Tuberculosis kills 14 in Myanmarrsquos remote
north
9 March - At least 14 people have died from pulmonary tuberculosis in a remote and
impoverished region in Myanmarrsquos north this year according to officials Thursday The
illness characterized by a persistent cough has hit two villages in Lahe Township of the
mountainous Naga region located around 1300 kilometers (800 miles) from Myanmarrsquos
largest city Yangon Maung Kal a lawmaker representing the area told Anadolu Agency on
Thursday that 14 middle-aged people -- including six women -- have succumbed to the
disease over the past two months hellip According to World Health Organization (WHO)
estimates more than 150000 people suffer from tuberculosis in Myanmar which is
currently included in a list of 30 countries recognized as high-burden with the infectious
respiratory disease Anadolu Agency
top of page
23
USSOUTHCOM
Brazil WHO expands vaccination advice as yellow fever
covers southeast Brazil state
7 March - The entire Brazilian state of Espirito Santo is now considered at risk for yellow
fever transmission the World Health Organization says raising concerns the deadly virus
could spread to the nations biggest cities An ongoing yellow fever outbreak has so far
been limited to rural areas hellip [b]ut there are growing concerns the virus could spread to
urban centers like Rio de Janeiro Sao Paulo Belo Horizonte and Vitoria - areas where tens
of millions live Reuters
Ecuador Leads desperate artisans
Spring 2017 - hellip Lead has been used in ceramic glazes for thousands of years for its
beautiful and strong finishmdashbut more importantlymdashbecause it enables the glaze to melt at
a lower temperature facilitating the use of backyard low-fire kilns In La Victoria to get the
lead for these glazes artisans turned to the lead plates from car batteries manually
removing them and melting them down in their kilns This process aerosolized the lead
enabling it to be inhaled by people and distributed across the environment widely
contaminating soil foods objects and homes hellip [Edgar] Neto tells me that environmental
health inspections should be done in La Victoria every three months but there are no police
to enforce the environmental laws Although no one in La Victoria tells stories of fines levied
for crimes against the environment the social structure within the political and artisan
associations here is strong and much of the lead use among artisans has changed hellip While
excessive exposure and acute lead toxicity may have abated leadrsquos potential for health
problems continuesmdashin the form of chronic exposure Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health
top of page
24
US Military | Global | Influenza | VeterinaryFood Safety | Wellness | Contact Us
USAFRICOM | USCENTCOM | USEUCOM | USNORTHCOM | USPACOM | USSOUTHCOM
The Army Public Health Weekly Update does not analyze the information as to its strategic or tactical impact on the US Army and is not a medical
intelligence product Medical intelligence is available from the National Center for Medical Intelligence
External Links The appearance of external hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the US Army of this Web site or the information products
or services contained therein For other than authorized activities such as military exchanges and MWR sites the US Army does not exercise any
editorial control over the information you may find at these locations Such links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of this product
Although we avoid links to sites that may be blocked all sites may not be accessible from all locations While we verify the links at the time of
publication we cannot guarantee that they will be active in the future
Articles appearing in the Update do not necessarily represent US Army Medical Command opinionsviews policy or guidance and should not be
construed or interpreted as being endorsed by the US Army Medical Command
The Army Public Health Weekly Update is published by the Public Health Information Directorate Army Public Health Center
22
USPACOM
India India abortion - police find 19 female foetuses
6 March - Police in the western Indian state of Maharashtra have found 19 aborted female
foetuses near a hospital Senior police officials in Sangli district said the remains were
buried with the intention of disposing them The police told the BBC that they found the
foetuses while they were investigating the death of a woman who had undergone an illegal
abortion Activists say the incident proves yet again that female foeticide is rampant in India
despite awareness campaigns The police said that the woman had died in a botched
abortion and they were looking for the foetus near a local hospital when they made the
grisly discovery It appears to be an abortion racket We have arrested the husband of the
woman and have launched a manhunt for the doctor who has gone missing Dattatray
Shinde superintendent of police told the BBC BBC News
India Missing the signals - Indiarsquos anti-vaccination social
media campaign
7 March - India recently launched a one-month campaign to vaccinate over 35 million
9-month to 15-year old children with a measles-rubella vaccine across five states The
campaign marked the start of a two-year initiative aiming to vaccinate over 400 million
children across India ndash part of a larger global effort to eliminate measles and rubella By the
end of the first month of the campaign it became clear that it was struggling to meet its
goal A different kind of campaign was circulating on WhatsApp and Facebook ndash fuelling a
mix of conspiracy theories safety concerns and questioning around why the vaccine and
the campaign were needed Whatrsquos more the rumours were taking hold in the wealthier
southern states with generally the best education and health indicators in the country
The Vaccine Confidence Project
Myanmar Tuberculosis kills 14 in Myanmarrsquos remote
north
9 March - At least 14 people have died from pulmonary tuberculosis in a remote and
impoverished region in Myanmarrsquos north this year according to officials Thursday The
illness characterized by a persistent cough has hit two villages in Lahe Township of the
mountainous Naga region located around 1300 kilometers (800 miles) from Myanmarrsquos
largest city Yangon Maung Kal a lawmaker representing the area told Anadolu Agency on
Thursday that 14 middle-aged people -- including six women -- have succumbed to the
disease over the past two months hellip According to World Health Organization (WHO)
estimates more than 150000 people suffer from tuberculosis in Myanmar which is
currently included in a list of 30 countries recognized as high-burden with the infectious
respiratory disease Anadolu Agency
top of page
23
USSOUTHCOM
Brazil WHO expands vaccination advice as yellow fever
covers southeast Brazil state
7 March - The entire Brazilian state of Espirito Santo is now considered at risk for yellow
fever transmission the World Health Organization says raising concerns the deadly virus
could spread to the nations biggest cities An ongoing yellow fever outbreak has so far
been limited to rural areas hellip [b]ut there are growing concerns the virus could spread to
urban centers like Rio de Janeiro Sao Paulo Belo Horizonte and Vitoria - areas where tens
of millions live Reuters
Ecuador Leads desperate artisans
Spring 2017 - hellip Lead has been used in ceramic glazes for thousands of years for its
beautiful and strong finishmdashbut more importantlymdashbecause it enables the glaze to melt at
a lower temperature facilitating the use of backyard low-fire kilns In La Victoria to get the
lead for these glazes artisans turned to the lead plates from car batteries manually
removing them and melting them down in their kilns This process aerosolized the lead
enabling it to be inhaled by people and distributed across the environment widely
contaminating soil foods objects and homes hellip [Edgar] Neto tells me that environmental
health inspections should be done in La Victoria every three months but there are no police
to enforce the environmental laws Although no one in La Victoria tells stories of fines levied
for crimes against the environment the social structure within the political and artisan
associations here is strong and much of the lead use among artisans has changed hellip While
excessive exposure and acute lead toxicity may have abated leadrsquos potential for health
problems continuesmdashin the form of chronic exposure Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health
top of page
24
US Military | Global | Influenza | VeterinaryFood Safety | Wellness | Contact Us
USAFRICOM | USCENTCOM | USEUCOM | USNORTHCOM | USPACOM | USSOUTHCOM
The Army Public Health Weekly Update does not analyze the information as to its strategic or tactical impact on the US Army and is not a medical
intelligence product Medical intelligence is available from the National Center for Medical Intelligence
External Links The appearance of external hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the US Army of this Web site or the information products
or services contained therein For other than authorized activities such as military exchanges and MWR sites the US Army does not exercise any
editorial control over the information you may find at these locations Such links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of this product
Although we avoid links to sites that may be blocked all sites may not be accessible from all locations While we verify the links at the time of
publication we cannot guarantee that they will be active in the future
Articles appearing in the Update do not necessarily represent US Army Medical Command opinionsviews policy or guidance and should not be
construed or interpreted as being endorsed by the US Army Medical Command
The Army Public Health Weekly Update is published by the Public Health Information Directorate Army Public Health Center
23
USSOUTHCOM
Brazil WHO expands vaccination advice as yellow fever
covers southeast Brazil state
7 March - The entire Brazilian state of Espirito Santo is now considered at risk for yellow
fever transmission the World Health Organization says raising concerns the deadly virus
could spread to the nations biggest cities An ongoing yellow fever outbreak has so far
been limited to rural areas hellip [b]ut there are growing concerns the virus could spread to
urban centers like Rio de Janeiro Sao Paulo Belo Horizonte and Vitoria - areas where tens
of millions live Reuters
Ecuador Leads desperate artisans
Spring 2017 - hellip Lead has been used in ceramic glazes for thousands of years for its
beautiful and strong finishmdashbut more importantlymdashbecause it enables the glaze to melt at
a lower temperature facilitating the use of backyard low-fire kilns In La Victoria to get the
lead for these glazes artisans turned to the lead plates from car batteries manually
removing them and melting them down in their kilns This process aerosolized the lead
enabling it to be inhaled by people and distributed across the environment widely
contaminating soil foods objects and homes hellip [Edgar] Neto tells me that environmental
health inspections should be done in La Victoria every three months but there are no police
to enforce the environmental laws Although no one in La Victoria tells stories of fines levied
for crimes against the environment the social structure within the political and artisan
associations here is strong and much of the lead use among artisans has changed hellip While
excessive exposure and acute lead toxicity may have abated leadrsquos potential for health
problems continuesmdashin the form of chronic exposure Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health
top of page
24
US Military | Global | Influenza | VeterinaryFood Safety | Wellness | Contact Us
USAFRICOM | USCENTCOM | USEUCOM | USNORTHCOM | USPACOM | USSOUTHCOM
The Army Public Health Weekly Update does not analyze the information as to its strategic or tactical impact on the US Army and is not a medical
intelligence product Medical intelligence is available from the National Center for Medical Intelligence
External Links The appearance of external hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the US Army of this Web site or the information products
or services contained therein For other than authorized activities such as military exchanges and MWR sites the US Army does not exercise any
editorial control over the information you may find at these locations Such links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of this product
Although we avoid links to sites that may be blocked all sites may not be accessible from all locations While we verify the links at the time of
publication we cannot guarantee that they will be active in the future
Articles appearing in the Update do not necessarily represent US Army Medical Command opinionsviews policy or guidance and should not be
construed or interpreted as being endorsed by the US Army Medical Command
The Army Public Health Weekly Update is published by the Public Health Information Directorate Army Public Health Center
24
US Military | Global | Influenza | VeterinaryFood Safety | Wellness | Contact Us
USAFRICOM | USCENTCOM | USEUCOM | USNORTHCOM | USPACOM | USSOUTHCOM
The Army Public Health Weekly Update does not analyze the information as to its strategic or tactical impact on the US Army and is not a medical
intelligence product Medical intelligence is available from the National Center for Medical Intelligence
External Links The appearance of external hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the US Army of this Web site or the information products
or services contained therein For other than authorized activities such as military exchanges and MWR sites the US Army does not exercise any
editorial control over the information you may find at these locations Such links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of this product
Although we avoid links to sites that may be blocked all sites may not be accessible from all locations While we verify the links at the time of
publication we cannot guarantee that they will be active in the future
Articles appearing in the Update do not necessarily represent US Army Medical Command opinionsviews policy or guidance and should not be
construed or interpreted as being endorsed by the US Army Medical Command
The Army Public Health Weekly Update is published by the Public Health Information Directorate Army Public Health Center